Apple-Cranberry Tart

[Richard Kilgore]

I am going to do a couple of apple-cranberry tarts for Thanksgiving. This will be my first tart ever. Can't be that hard, but I don't have a recipe or model for this. (And despite my Jinmyo quote below, I do use recipes. I just appreciate her sentiment.)

I was figuring a ratio of 2.5 to 1 of apples to cranberries. Sound about right? Please humor me by assuming I can figure out how to bake a shell, but I need suggestions for how to do the filling. Though the nature of the shell is undecided as yet. I plan on doing this in two of those Emil Henry tart pans, cream interior, red exterior. I am as interested in presentation as taste.

Thanks,

Richard

[Richard Kilgore]

Okay, to clarify. When I said that presentation is as important as taste. I am talking about presentation in a pretty basic way. No flames, no exploding tarts. Just attractive in a rustic kind of way. Arranged apple slices? Rough chopped? Ideas?

[Betts]

This is my favorite - it's the brandy that pulls it all together

APPLE AND DRIED CRANBERRY PIE

The sweet-tart filling and the flaky crust add up to one terrific pie.

For crust

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 tablespoons (about) ice water

For filling

1 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 1/4 pounds Pippin apples, peeled, quartered, cored, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon whipping cream

Make crust:

Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until butter is cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Add 7 tablespoons water and blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 pieces. Flatten pieces into disks; wrap in plastic. Chill at least 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

Make filling:

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Combine cranberries, sugar, flour and allspice in large bowl. Mix in apples, then brandy and vanilla extract.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Spoon in apple filling, mounding slightly in center. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Drape crust over filling. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Press crust edges together; fold under. Crimp edge. Stir yolk and cream in small bowl to blend. Brush over top (but not edge) of pie. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake pie until apples are tender and crust is golden, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; let stand 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8.

Bon Appétit

October 1998

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks, Betts. Help my ignorance. Will the filling do just as well for an open face tart, or will it be too liquid and need modification? Does it matter what kind of Vanilla extract I use?

[KatieLoeb]

Check out this link:

AMAZON.com - Frog Commissary Cookbook

There is a recipe in here for an Apple-Cranberry Streusel topped pie that is absolutely TO DIE FOR. And not that hard to make. It's a fantastic book that I highly recommend for other recipes as well. This was a much loved and sorely missed restaurant in Philadelphia. The Carrot Cake recipe is also the best I've ever had.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks Katie. I'll try to find it locally first. Are you folks trying to tell me I need to do a pie, or can I adapt these to a tart? If so, what do I do?

Richard

[rickster]

I've never made an apple cranberry tart, but I would observe the following:

The pie recipe is going to make too much filling for a tart, unless it is a very large tart or you are going to use it for more than one. I'll admit I don't know how deep an Emile Henry tart pan is.

Type of vanilla is not an issue.

There is a type of French apple tart (I'm pretty sure there is a recipe in Baking with Julia) which uses almost an applesauce like filling mixed iwth currants, topped with typical fanned apple slices, you could adapt this using dried cranberries for the currants.

When I use fresh cranberries in baking, sometimes to reduce the tartness a bit, I put the berries into simple syrup, bring them to a simmer and then take the pot off the heat when the first berry pops and let cool. The I use the berries as directed in the recipe.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks, rickster. The EH tart pan is 3/4 inch deep by 11 inches. My guess is it will be only slightly too much filling compared to a 9 inch pie pan. But I'll look at Baking with Julia, too, since that sounds similar to what I have envisioned. Thanks for the simple syrup tip. I want it to be tart, but not too tart.

[Cusina]

I second sweetening the cranberries before using them. You don't want a too tart tart, well, you know what I mean. However if you cook them too long in syrup cranberries will pop and you end up with cranberry sauce rather than something you could arrange prettily in a tart shell.

Just an idea, but I like using a pecan pie filling (make 1/2 a normal pie recipe) poured over the arranged fruit. You could even add pecans into the cranberry, apple slice arrangement if that appealed. Makes for a yummy caramel taste.

I also make homemade vanilla, but that is a whole other thread...

edit: stupid typo corrected

Edited November 6, 2003 by Cusina (log)

[alanamoana]

i think a combination of dried cranberries and fresh cranberries would be nice. the dried cranberries can be plumped up first in a little sweet syrup/alcohol for flavor depth. or, i guess they could be left dry to absorb some of the juices that seep from fresh crans and apples. i like nuts with this type of thing because they add a little richness to offset the tartness of the crans. maybe a linzer type crust? too delicate?

[KatieLoeb]

Richard:

You could "cheat" and use the "Search the Inside of the Cookbook" feature that Amazon has graciously provided. This is discussed in this thread HERE on another forum within eGullet.

[Overlordofpastry]

I used to make a Cranberry Apple Crumble Tart for a restaurant I worked in a few years ago. I used Granny Smith apples and frozen cranberries. I sauteed the apples first about half way, then added the cranberries. By the time the apples are cooked, the mix should be thick since the cranberries have alot of pectin and it thickens without the use of cornstarch. I just added sugar to taste and let the mixture cool, then put it in a half-baked shell, and covered it with streusal and baked.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Katie, I tried the Amazon search and cracked up when I found that it, of course, found all uses of tart as an adjective!

[BettyK]

Check out this link:

AMAZON.com - Frog Commissary Cookbook

There is a recipe in here for an Apple-Cranberry Streusel topped pie that is absolutely TO DIE FOR.  And not that hard to make.  It's a fantastic book that I highly recommend for other recipes as well.  This was a much loved and sorely missed restaurant in Philadelphia.  The Carrot Cake recipe is also the best I've ever had.

Are you sure the Apple-Cranberry Streusel pie is from the Frog Commissary Cookbook or was it from The White Dog Cafe Cookbook? I have the Frog Commissary book but can't find it in there.

[Richard Kilgore]

Late Posting: Here's the finished Apple-Cranberry Tart. Photo by my brother.

[cakewalk]

Man, has that tart been hanging around since Thanksgiving?

It looks beautiful.