Apple And Prune Tart Recipes

TOURTIERE (APPLE, PRUNE AND ARMAGNAC TART)

Steps:

• To prepare the tourtiere you will need a large, round, shallow baking pan; a 16-inch paella pan is perfect.
• Peel the apples, quarter them and slice very thin. In a mediumsize saucepan combine the apples, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water and cook over medium-high heat until quite dry, or for about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the prunes and Armagnac and allow them to marinate while the apples cook.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Dampen a large cloth towel and drape it over the phyllo dough to prevent it from drying out.
• Drain the prunes and combine them with the cooked apples. Reserve the Armagnac or rum.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly oil the bottom and sides of the baking pan.
• Place the tourtiere in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 and cook an additional hour. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve either hot, at room temperature or gently reheated, cutting into pie-shaped wedges.
• Spoon the apple-and-prune mixture in a single layer on top of the fourth sheet of dough, covering the bottom and sides of the pastry. Be sure to keep the unused phyllo dough covered as you continue to work.
• Continue with the rest of the phyllo dough, layering sheet by sheet, covering each sheet with a sprinkling of sugar and a sprinkling of Armagnac, until you have used all the sugar, Armagnac and dough. Use about 10 sheets, or layers, in all.
• Trim off any overlapping pastry from the edges so they are even and sprinkle the trimmings on top of the last layer of pastry.
• Center one sheet of phyllo dough in the baking pan and sprinkle generously with sugar and Armagnac. Do this three more times until you have four sheets of phyllo.

APPLE PRUNE CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Put the prunes in a medium bowl and pour in the apple cider. Let soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour or, if longer, refrigerate up to overnight.
• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the soaked prunes and cider for 15 to 20 minutes until the prunes are soft and mostly broken down. Set aside and let cool to room temperature, then stir in the grated apples.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and generously butter a 9-inch cake pan. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
• In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl once again, and add the eggs one at a time, scraping down in between each addition. Alternate adding half the prune mixture, then half the flour mixture, to the stand mixer bowl, starting with wet and ending with dry, scraping down between each addition. Take care not to overmix.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs and no wet batter. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Invert again onto a serving plate and serve warm with whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream, if you'd like.

COUNTRY APPLE PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs for 2 minutes at medium speed; blend in apples. Combine dry ingredients; gradually beat into egg mixture. Stir in plums and nuts. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. , Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool. , Just before serving, dust cake with confectioners' sugar.

PRUNE, APPLE AND CALVADOS TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C / 375°F.
• Process 125g diced chilled butter, 25g caster sugar and the grated orange rind in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Turn into a bowl.
• Mix 30ml water and the egg yolk, blend into the mixtureand knead lightly to form a ball; wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
• Roughly chop the prunes, grate the apple and pour over the Calvados.
• Melt the remaining butter and mix with the ground almonds, beaten eggs and remaining caster sugar.
• Roll the pastry thinly and line 23 cm (9inch) round 4cm (11/4inch) deep, loose based, fluted flan tin. Bake blind until set.
• Add the prunes and apple to the almond mixture and spoon into the flan case. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
• Melt the jam with 15ml (1tbsp) orange juice, when bubbling, sieve, then brush over the top of the tart.
• Serve warm or cold with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

APPLE, APRICOT, AND PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Into a chilled large metal bowl sift together flour and salt. Set a grater in bowl and using largest teardrop-shaped holes coarsely grate frozen butter into flour, gently lifting and tossing flour to coat butter. Chill mixture 20 minutes. Drizzle 8 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until just incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, and test mixture again. (If you overwork or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands mound into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough portions together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk (dough will not be smooth). Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours, or until firm, and up to 2 days.
• On floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough 1/4 inch thick (about a 15-inch round). Fit dough into a 12 1/2- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom and with a rolling pin roll over top of shell to trim pastry flush with rim. With a fork prick bottom of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights or rice and foil and bake shell until golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Make filling
• Peel, core, and chop 1 apple. In a saucepan cook chopped apple, apricots, 1/2 cup sugar, and water, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender, about 12 minutes. Cool mixture 20 minutes. In a food processor pulse mixture until smooth and transfer to a small bowl. Chop prunes and stir into purée. Peel remaining 4 apples and quarter. Core apples and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Spoon apricot purée evenly into shell and smooth top. Decoratively arrange apple slices, overlapping them, over purée and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tart in middle of oven until apple slices are slightly browned and crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool tart slightly in pan on rack. In a small saucepan melt jam over low heat and pour through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Press hard on solids and discard. With a pastry brush, brush glaze evenly over tart.
• Serve tart with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

APPLE AND PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until pastry starts to hold together, adding remaining tablespoon ice water if needed. Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Form dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Simmer water, Calvados, and prunes, uncovered, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Stir together cinnamon, cloves, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Halve wedges crosswise and toss with cinnamon mixture. Add lemon juice and toss to coat.
• Finely grind walnuts with remaining 3 tablespoons flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor.
• Assemble and bake tart:
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14- by 18-inch oval. Roll dough loosely onto floured rolling pin and unroll onto a large buttered baking sheet. Spinkle walnut mixture over pastry, leaving a 2 1/2- to 3-inch border.
• Stir stewed prunes into apple mixture and spoon over walnut mixture, evenly tucking prunes between apple pieces. Turn edge of dough over fruit to form pleats. Brush top of dough with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake tart, loosely covered with foil, in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust and fruit are golden and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack at least 20 minutes before serving.