(KBB # 7) Colourful Birthday : Apple Tart with Almond Nougatine

Yiippeeee!!! Happy 1st anniversary KBB (Klub Berani Baking is Indonesian Baking Club where a bunch of Indonesian ladies gather and daring ourselves to try new recipes every 2 months)! Through KBB, we share recipes and make friends. And to celebrate KBB 1st anniversary, they gave us 3 special options for the challenges : COOKING, BAKING and FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. It's up to us which one we want to choose.

I chose 2 challenges to join, BAKING and FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. And here's my entry for BAKING competition.



My entry for FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY competition, here.

Apple Tart with Almond Nougatine
adapted from Ripe for Dessert by David Lebovitz (the original recipe is Rhubarb Tart with Almond Nougatine)

The Dough :
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the nougatine topping)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt



The Filling (dita's version) :
1/2 stick butter
4 apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
a pich of ground black pepper
a pinch of ground nutmeg

The Almond Nougatine :
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sliced almond

Directions :
To make the dough :
1. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. With an electric mixer or by hand, beat the butter with the sugar until no visible lumps of butter remain. Beat in the egg yolks. Add the flour and salt and mix at low speed until the dough begins to come together.
3. Gather the dough and press it evenly over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Use the heel of your hand. (Dust your hand with a bit of flour if the dough is sticking to them). Put the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make filling :
4. Melt the butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add brown sugar. Cook until thick grainy sauce forms, about 1 minute.
7. Mix in apples. Cook until apples are tender and sauce is reduced to glaze, tossing often, about 7 minutes.
8. Mix in spices. Cool filling at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

9. Remove the springform pan from the freezer (dita-prick the base of the pastry with fork several times) and line with foil. Pour in a single layer of pie weight, dried beans or raw rice. Bake the dough for 20 minutes (dita-15 minutes). Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the dough is browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Do not turn off the oven.
10. When tart shell has cooled, spread the apples filing in it.

To make the almond nougatine :
11. beat together the egg whites, brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork. Stir in the almonds. Spread the nougatine evenly over the tart.
12. Bake the tart for 40 minutes (dita-30 minutes), until the nougatine is crisp and browned. Cool the tart on a wire rack for 15 minutes. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan.



Serving : serve with vanilla ice cream or grand marnier-flavored whipped cream, or simply eat by itself.

Take a seat and please enjoy the step by step video ;)