Apple Walnut Tart

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup egg yolks
• 1 1/4 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 finely shredded lemon peel
• dash salt
• 3 tart cooking apples, cored and peeled
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 ounces almond paste (made without syrup or glucose) (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup apricot jam; melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method 

Pastry
Beat the 1/2 cup butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. add the 1/2 cup sugar; beat on medium speed 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add 1 egg yolk; beat for 1 minute on low speed. add the 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the lemon peel, and salt; beat until combine (mixture will be crumbly). Thinly slice apples; place in a large skillet. Add 1/4 cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. simmer, covered, about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well; set aside. 
Filling
Stir together 1/2 cup flour, the almonds, and baking powder; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the 5 tablespoons margarine and the 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Slowly beat in almond paste, a small piece at a time, until smooth. add cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla, beat until a paste forms. Add whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in 2 egg yolks. Stir in flour mixture. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Press the pastry onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Snip large fruit pieces in jam. Spread half of the melted jam over pastry. Pour filling into pan. Arrange cooked apples over filling until it is completely covered with apple slices. Drizzle with melted margarine; sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake in a 325°F oven 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours. Remove sides of springform pan; transfer tart to serving platter. Drizzle the remaining melted apricot jam over tart.

Serves: 12