French Apple Tart with Tahini Frangipane

For Rosh Hashanah or just apple season!

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OK, I’ve resisted long enough! I’m finally ready to embrace apples and everything that comes along with them. I don't know about you, but the only thing I don’t like about fall, and I do mean the only thing, is that it signals the shorter, colder days ahead. I know there are those of you who love winter, but I cannot join you on that. Sure, I like a pretty snowy day as much as the next person, but winter is just TOO long and the days are TOO short. 

I know I’m always encouraging you to make your own pastry, whether for a pie or a tart (or a galette) and if you haven’t gotten comfy with that yet, I promise you will. It’s one of those things where you just have to keep trying, because it’s a “feel” thing. Eventually it will be intuitive. 

Sometimes, however, there’s something that is better made with puff pastry, and because of the fact that you can buy VERY GOOD frozen puff pastry combined with the amount of skill, space, and time required to make it, I wholeheartedly endorse buying it. But there is one catch: It should be made with ALL butter. The whole point of puff pastry is the butter, both the flavor and the part it plays in creating the puff. 

So the bad news is that the Pepperidge farm brand that you’ll find in just about every supermarket is not the best choice, because it’s made with 0% butter and lots of chemicals.  Vegetable oils just don’t have the same effect as butter.

The good news is, you CAN buy some excellent puff pastry! The one I’ve used the most over the years is Dufour puff pastry, which is widely available in better supermarkets and specialty stores. Trader Joe’s also makes a very good puff pastry that is available only seasonally, but that season starts now, so stock up since it won’t be on shelves long but will last a good long while in your freezer. 

Today’s recipe for French Apple Tart with Tahini Frangipane makes great use of puff pastry, because what’s better than flakiness paired with fresh, in-season apples?

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Tips for working with frozen puff pastry:

• Defrost puff pastry overnight in the fridge

• Don't try to rush the thawing process, as you’ll likely melt or soften the butter too much

• As with all pastry doughs, make sure to keep it cold, returning to the fridge or freeze when needed to chill, including before the final bake

• Make sure to bake thoroughly; err on the side of overbaking, and make sure it’s nice and brown on the bottom

• Different brands of dough have slightly different dimensions, so just work with what you have and fit the filling into the piece of dough

• Always remember to “dock” the dough. This is a fancy way of saying to prick it with a fork. This lets some steam escape as the tart bakes. If you notice a big bubble forming on the surface, just poke it with the tip of a paring knife

• The apricot preserves make a nice finish on the top of this tart to give it some shine and a little more flavor, but it’s totally optional

• You could also glaze with honey if serving for Rosh Hashanah

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French Apple Tart with Tahini Frangipane

Serves 6 to 8

Frozen puff pastry enables you to make a very professional-looking and delicious tart with no pastry know-how. Look for a brand that’s made with all butter, like Dufour or Trader Joe’s. The dimensions of different brands may vary slightly but the amount of filling needed will remain the same.

• 1 sheet (usually 1 package) frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup well stirred tahini

• 1/3 cup (73g) light brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup (32g) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon chilled butter, shaved thinly into flakes

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves, optional

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1. Unroll or unfold the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper cut to fit an approximately 8x13-inch sheet pan. Use a pizza cutter or pastry wheel to trim a 1/2-inch strip off of each side of the rectangle of dough. Combine the egg yolk and the cream, beating well with a fork. Brush the outer 1/2 inch of the dough lightly with the egg wash, and place the strips on top, creating a double-thickness border. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Transfer the parchment to a sheet pan. Chill.

2. Heat oven to 400°F. Combine softened butter, tahini, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, egg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. Spread evenly on dough, avoiding the border. Chill again for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Slice the apples thinly, keeping the sections together as much as possible. Fan them out on top of the filling, covering the whole surface. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the apples, and dot with the chilled butter. Brush the edges with the egg wash.

4. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 50-55 minutes, until the pastry is well browned, and the edges of the apples are starting to brown. Remove from oven and slide the tart, still on the parchment, onto a cooling rack.

5. If desired, warm the preserves in a microwave-safe dish along with a tablespoon or 2 of water to thin. Brush the preserves over the apples. Serve warm or at room temperature.

French Apple Tart With Tahini Frangipane

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P.S. I wanted to remind you that all of the recipes in my newsletters live permanently here (though some will be paywalled for free subscribers). You can also scroll through public recipes on my site, keep up with me on Instagram, and find more seasonal recipes in my latest book, Open Kitchen.

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