FRENCH APPLE & ALMOND TART

Crust:

2 large egg yolks
2 T. Calvados
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
9 T. butter,chilled and cut into 1/2 in. pieces

Filling:

1 1/4 c. sliced or slivered almonds
3/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
2 large eggs
3 T. Calvados
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt
6 T. butter, room temp.

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/8 in. wedges

1/4 c. apricot jam or preserves

FOR CRUST: Stir egg yolks and Calvados in a small bowl to blend. Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter; cut in, using on/off pulses, until butter is the size of small peas. With processor running, add yolk mixture. Process until large moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour or as long as a day before. (You may need to let the dough soften before rolling if it has been refrigerated longer than an hour.)

Roll out dough onto a floured surface to 14 in. round. Transfer to 11 in. tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming double thick sides. Chill while you make the filling.

FOR FILLING: Combine almonds, 3/4 c. sugar, eggs, 1 T. Calvados, extracts and salt in processor. Blend until soft paste forms. Add 4 T. butter; blend 10 sec.. Spread onto crust. Chill until firm; about 45 min.

Meanwhile, stir apples, 1 T. Calvados and 1 T. sugar in large bowl and let stand 30 min.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain apples; overlap in concentric circles (ah, a reference to Slow Travel ) atop filling. Melt 2 T. butter; brush over apples. Sprinkle with 1 T. sugar.

Bake tart 15 min. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until apples are tender, about 45 min. Stir apricot jam and 1 T. Calvados in small saucepan over low heat until jam melts. Strain into a small bowl; brush over apples. Cool.

Oh.
My.
Goodness.

Yum! Thank you so much!

I made a tart tatin lazst weekend and served it with mascarpone whipped with calvados. I could have eaten that cream for a week all by itself it was so good. If you need to use up more calvados, it is quick and easy.

Cristina, I live in the boonies and after begging for years a friend just consented to buying mascarpone for his little grocery.

What great timing - I have Calvados, apples, mascarpone and your wonderfully decadent suggestion.