Brown Butter Apple Tart {Guest Post}

The warm smells and flavors of fall come alive in this custardy brown butter apple tart.

Today’s guest post is from Joanne at Eats Well With Others, who you already know I adore! If you somehow are not already reading her blog on a regular basis, that should definitely change. Some of my favorite posts include her Salted Caramel “Ding Dong” Cake, Bananas Foster Chia Pudding and this Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette.

I know I’m probably in the minority here, but for me, Thanksgiving menu planning is not just another item on my to-do list, but a way.of.life.

It starts on October 1st, when I break out my stash of November food magazines, open up my Thanksgiving! Pinterest board, and start strategizing.

When I consider how much time my fiance spends deciding who he’s going to play on his Fantasy Football team every week, it’s not so crazy, but let’s just say a lot of energy goes into figuring out how many sweet potato recipes I can try before the Big Day and which pies are really worth my time, energy, and the gray hairs I will inevitably start growing from crust stress.

(Please tell me I’m not alone in this.)

So when I say that this brown butter apple tart is worth it’s place on your holiday table and then some. You’ll know not to take it lightly.

I’ve actually made it twice in the past few years, which says a lot given my seeming inability to make the same recipe more than once (it’s a food blogger thing). But there’s something about the rich nuttiness of the brown butter custard filling paired with the apple pie flavors that keeps me coming back for more. Also, the fact that the crust is so easy to put together and makes double the amount that you need in a two-for-the-time-of-one kind of way, is a selling point in a major way.

Brown Butter Apple Tart {Guest Post}

 

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The warm smells and flavors of fall come alive in this custardy brown butter apple tart.

Author: Joanne Bruno

Recipe type: Dessert

Makes: 1 10-inch tart

Ingredients

• For the crust
• · 1 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• · 1 cup sugar
• · ¼ tsp salt
• · 1 large egg, beaten
• · 2 tbsp heavy cream
• · 2 tsp vanilla extract
• · 3½ cups all purpose flour
• For the filling
• · 4 large eggs
• · 1 cup sugar
• · 1 cup unsalted butter
• · 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• · ½ cup all purpose flour
• · ½ tsp kosher salt
• · 3 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored and cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick rings

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla. Combine until smooth. Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
2. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times. Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a flat disc. Wrap each in plastic wrap and store one in the freezer for future use. Put the other in the refrigerate and chill for 2-3 hours or overnight.
3. The next day, roll out the refrigerated disc on a lightly floured work surface until it is ⅛-inch thick and 2-inches wider than the tart pan. Spray a 10-inch tart pan with nonstick spray. Press the dough into the tart pan and up the sides. Trim the edges and use the excess to repair any tears or fill any holes. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 350F. Remove the crust from the freezer and line with parchment paper or foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
5. For the filling, whisk together the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Put the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow to melt and then cook, stirring frequently, until the butter becomes an amber color and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scrape the insides from the vanilla bean into the butter and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk the brown butter into the egg/sugar mixture. Stir in the flour and salt.
6. Place the tart shell on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Layer the apples in the tart shell. Pour the filling over the apples until just covered (you may have extra). Bake until the apples are a golden brown and the filling is set in the center, about 70-80 minutes.
7. Let the tart cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or ice cream to garnish.

Notes

adapted slightly from Bon Appetit

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Which pretty much means that after you inhale it with reckless abandon, and find yourself in brown butter apple withdrawal you’ll already be halfway to putting a second tart in your oven. In my world, that is absolutely a win.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

You might also like:

Vanilla Bean Apple Cake

Skillet Apple Crisp with Brown Butter Sauce

Giant Caramel Apple Cinnamon Bun