Mosaic Apple Tart

from The Smitten Kitchen

This tart is easy to make and beautiful to look at. It tastes good too. Since it is made with puff pastry, it is a light alternative to a pie.

Ingredients:

Tart base:

  • 14-oz package puff pastry, preferably a brand made with all butter - defrosted

  • 3 large or 4 medium apples (about 1 1/4 pounds)

  • 2 Tbs granulated sugar

  • 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut into small bits

Salted caramel glaze:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 Tbs unsalted butter

  • 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (or half as much table salt)

  • 2 Tbs heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed, 10×15-inch jellyroll pan or baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Lightly flour your counter, and lay out the pastry. Flour the top, and gently roll it until it fits inside the baking sheet, and transfer it there. Roll over the edge of the puff pastry a bit to make a small border.

  3. Cut the apples into quarters from stem to blossom end, and core. Slice the apples quarters as thinly as you can with a knife or mandoline. Fan the apples around the tart in a slightly overlapping spiral — each apple should overlap the one before it so that only about 3/4-inch of the previous apple is visible — until you reach the middle. Sprinkle the apples evenly with two Tbs of the sugar, and dot with two Tbs of butter.

  4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the tart are brown and the edges of the apples begin to take on some color. If you sliced your apples by hand, and they are on the thicker side, you might need a little more baking time to cook them through. The apples should feel soft and dry to the touch. If your puffed pastry bubbles dramatically in any place during the baking time, simply poke it with a knife so that it deflates.

  5. About 20 minutes into the baking time, make your glaze. (Resist the urge to prepare this sooner or it will harden in the pan and make a mess.) In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt your remaining 1/4 cup sugar; this will take about 3 minutes. Cook the liquefied sugar to a nice copper color, another minute or two. Remove from the heat, add the sea salt and butter, and stir until the butter melts and is incorporated. Add the heavy cream, and return to the stove over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or two until you have a lovely, bronzed caramel syrup.

  6. After the tart has baked, remove it from the oven, but leave the oven on. Using very short, gentle strokes/pats, brush the entire tart, including the pastry border, with the salted caramel glaze. Return the apple tart to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the caramel glaze bubbles.

  7. Let tart cool complete before cutting into 12 squares. Serve plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.