Bob's special apple pie in the French style

 

 
 tarte aux pommes ala Robert

 

- ingredients -

5 or 6 sweet apples -  I mix Spartans, Gala and a Newton.  Don't use a too hard apple (Granny Smith)  that won't break down in heat or too soft an apple (Delicious) that'll go mushy.

2 eggs

About 3 tablespoons of Japanese Midori ® melon liqueur - and no, you cannot substitute for this fresh flavour,  the green Midori is the BEST!

1/2 cup of fine confectionary sugar

3/4 cup of heavy cream

Make a pie dough of your choice to fill a 10 X 1"  tart pan with a removable edge - the dough must be able to fit the fluted edge and stand so liquid doesn't leak. You can follow the directions below for the pastry if you like if you don't have a favorite.

Peel the apples and cut in half  - core them using a melon baller - now slice them straight through so they are not wedges.

Place the apple half slices in the pan, overlapping each in a fan shape going round the outside first, then the inside and finally a spiral in the center.- like the picture above - make sure you alternate the varieties - so the apple flavors will mix.

Put the pie in the oven at about 375° - now you need to watch carefully - what you are trying to do here, is to slightly dry out the apple slices - this is important because you want them to absorb the liquid mix you are about to make - you'll know they're ready after about 10 minutes when the apples begin to show a slight shrivel and dryness from the water loss.

While this pre-baking is going on - prepare the mixture :-

Beat the eggs with the whipping cream and sugar - check to see that the sugar is liquified and not gritty - then pour in the Midori liquer and stir it in.         

Once the apples have that drying look and start slightly browning in the pan, open the oven and slowly pour your custard mixture over the apples, trying to cover them all with the liquescent mix.
They will now absorb your custard mix and smell fabulous!

Continue to bake for about another 15 minutes until the apples and mixture start to look creamy and slightly browned on top
and solidifies with the apples.

You'll know when it's done by the mottled look and the beautiful creamy beige colour.

Mmmm!  Une magnifique oeuvre d'art!

 

 

 
Serve with a dollop of  Chantilly cream and fresh dark roast French coffee.

 

 - for the crust if you need to -

 
1 1/2 cups flour - 5 oz cold butter - 1/2 tsp salt - 1/4 cup ice water +
Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a your fingers (or a pastry cutter, if you prefer), cut it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Be patient—this takes a while. Break up the shortening and add it in bits to the bowl. Still working with the pastry blender (or your fingers), cut in the shortening until the mixture has small clumps and curds. Switch to a wooden spoon and add the ice water, stirring to incorporate it. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and fold it over on itself a few times - don't get carried away. The dough will be soft, but it will firm sufficiently in the refrigerator. 

Flatten into a disk, wrap in wax paper, and chill for at least two hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and fit it into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the extra along the sides of the tart pan, so that most of the sides have a double wall of pastry. Use the back of a knife to decorate the edge by pressing it diagonally at each flute or at 1/2-inch intervals around the tart.

Chill the tart for at least 30 minutes. Line with foil, fill with pie weights (or beans), and then bake in a 400 F oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Place on a rack to cool, lower the heat to 375 F, and proceed with the filling:

 

                   Alternate liqueur - You could use the Hawaiian  Kahana Royale ® macadamia nut liqueur,
                        but again, do not substitute as many of the other brands can be harsh and you want a delicate subtle flavor for a successful French style tart which features your apples.

 

 

What's so American about apple pie? Well, pie certainly preceded America. Pie has been around at least since ancient Egyptians began filling crusts. The Roman Cato the Censor wrote down the first pie recipe, made of goat cheese and honey in a crust. There is evidence that Europeans were eating pie as far back as the 14th century. At that time, most pies were filled with meat, but fruit filling was becoming more popular. When the first British settlers arrived in the New World, they brought their pie recipes with them. Though the food wasn't indigenous to the land, and the people themselves newcomers, they made it part of their mealtime repertoire. The Pennsylvania Dutch were believed to have developed what has become the traditional American pie, two-crusted with fruit inside. But it was the French who elevated the apple pie from simple peasant food to exquisite exotic and sometimes erotic cuisine.

Why did we hide this page?  It's your reward for exploring. Can't have everyone making this delight, can we?

 

 

All writing © RC Westerholm  -   original recipe from Chez Bob                        website design - Masalla Galleries Graphics - Vancouver BC