NOW THAT WE'VE FINALLY FINISHED the last of the turkey I can actually sit down and write about Thanksgiving Day with a bit of clarity and objectivity and move on to Christmas! (Coming soon!) On the whole, everything was rather delicious. The white meat of my turkey was extremely moist and tender, but so was the dark meat. Unfortunately for me, by the time we sat down to eat, I was so sick of even looking at food that I had a small piece of a turkey thigh with stuffing, a piece of a baked sweet potato and some cranberry sauce and called it a day. It was only two hours after that when I finally succumbed to dessert. Speaking of which, I think it was one of the best Apple Tarts I ever made. Nothing crumbled, nothing burned and, if you look closely at the photo below, there is homemade mincemeat under the apples.
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| Apple and Mincemeat Tart |
Mincemeat
1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tbs. suet (beef drippings will do in a pinch)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
Grated peel of one orange (you can also add the juice from the orange)
Grated peel of one lemon
3 apples (I like Golden Delicious or Macintosh, but any will do), peeled, cored and cut into medium dice
1 cup raisins
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried currants
1/4 cup chopped dried candied fruits (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup of rum and cognac mixed together (you can use more)
Put entire contents in a large saucepan and heat until well blended. Bring to the boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes. The color should become quite dark. Stop cooking once a mass has formed and you can see the bottom of the pan when stirring.
Let rest for about 5 minutes and immediately put the mincemeat into glass jars and seal if you're not going to use immediately (it's best to use it after it's been refrigerated for a day or two). Store in the fridge and use within 30 days. If sealed properly it can last in the fridge for quite a long time but it's better to use it up when you make it.
The pastry dough (pate sucre):
4 cups flour
2 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk beaten
Put all contents into the canister of a food processor and pulse until everything is mixed and then turn the machine on until the dough becomes one mass and rolls around the sides of the canister collecting all bits and pieces. The canister should be fairly clean around the dough.
Put the ball of dough on a floured surface and with your hands, smear the dough a bit at a time to flatten it out. Roll it up back into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (I make the dough the night before or several hours before I'm going to make the tart.
Apples
4 apples, peeled, cored
Keep the apples in a bowl of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice to avoid discoloring.
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs. cinnamon
14/ stick of butter cut into small dice to dot the top of the tart
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 400ยบ
Place the dough on a lightly floured wooden board or marble pastry board
Pound with the side of the rolling pic to make it a bit more elastic and start rolling the dough away from you. Turn the dough and continue rolling in this fashion. You can roll back and forth but you might break the dough. Continue to roll until you have a circle that is at least 2 inches wider than your tart pan. Place the dough in the pan and press gently in the corners to make sure the pan is completely lined. Take a knife and cut away the excess. If you have any holes, fill them with the extra dough. Alternatively, you can put small pieces (or balls) of the dough in a symmetric fashion on the bottom of the pan and press with your fingers to get an even layer of dough lining the pan. This works best if the dough has gotten to warm from handling and the butter starts to soften the dough.
Take about 5 tbs. mincemeat and spread evenly all over the top of the dough. Slice the apples in half and then make slices from each half. After cutting all of the apples, take one apple which isn't the most perfect and chop a little and place the chopped apple in the center of the tart thus making a small mound. Using one half at a time, line the entire tart with the sliced apples working your way all around the edge. Once that row is completed do a second row in the opposite direction or another decorative form if you like to cover the mound of chopped apples.
Put the tart pan on a rimmed roasting pan and bake for 60-75 minutes. I time the baking for 35 minutes and then turn the tart pan around and bake for another 35 minutes to ensure that it bakes evenly. I also make an aluminum rim to cover the edge of the tart ring so the crust doesn't burn.
Apricot Glaze
1 jar apricot preserves
a drop of vanilla
a drop of almond extract
1 tsp brandy or Grand Marnier
Pur entire contents of the preserves into a small saucepan. Add the liquids and cook to the boiling point. Remove from heat and immediate strain the apricots directly into another small saucepan. If it is very thick, add more liquor. Start stippling the tart with a pastry brush. Make sure the entire tart is covered in glaze, including the border of crust.
This can be made the night before a big dinner party (I always cook dessert first if it requires baking). Do not cover it with plastic wrap as the glaze will stick to the plastic and carry away a slice of apple or two with it when you take off the plastic. Better to unmold it and then put it on a serving platter and tent with foil or refrigerate.
This dessert won't disappoint; especially if you serve it with vanilla ice cream.
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