123easyaspie Home of Delicious Desserts-Thanksgiving Recipes-French Apple Almond Tart

French Apple Almond Tart

Ingredients
Crust

2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons brandy
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter; cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Filling

1 1/4 cups blanched slivered almonds
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter; room temperature
3 tart green apples; peeled, quartered, cored and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
1/4 cup apricot preserves

Method
Crust
Stir egg yolks and brandy in small bowl to blend.
Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter, cut in, using on/off turns, until butter is the size of small peas. With machine running, add yolk mixture. Process until large moist clumps form.
Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 14 inch round. Transfer to 11 inch tart an with removable bottom. Fold overhand in and press, forming double thick sides. Chill while making filling.
Filling
Combine almonds, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, 1 tablespoon brandy, extracts and salt in processor.
Blend until soft paste forms. Add 4 tablespoons butter; blend 10 seconds. spread in crust. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stir apples, 1 tablespoon brandy and 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Drain apples, overlap in circles on top filling.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter; brush over apples.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack. Stir preserves and 1 tablespoon brandy in small saucepan over low heat until preserves melt.
Strain into small bowl; brush over apples.
Cool
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Source: Bon Appetit, October 1997