Maple Apple Cranberry Tart Recipe

Try this Maple Apple Cranberry Tart recipe the next time you're craving a taste of autumn in New England.

• MAPLE APPLES
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 10 medium Golden Delicious apples (about 3-1/2 pounds), peeled, cored and cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• CRANBERRY FILLING
• 1 cup water
• 12 ounces (1-1/2 cups ) ripe cranberries
• juice of 1/2 lemon or 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans (optinal)
• TART SHELL
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Filling: In a heavy, 10-inch, oven-safe skillet, combine sugar, butter and almond extract. Cook over medium heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. When butter is melted, add maple syrup, and stir well. Remove from heat. (Sugar will not be completely dissolved.) Arrange apples (rounded sides down) in center and around sides of skillet, fitting apples very tightly together. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil 20 to 40 minutes (depending on juiciness of apples) or until sugar mixture becomes the color of caramel. Remove skillet from heat.

Tart Shell: (Skip this if using pre-bought crust.) Combine the flour, sugar and butter in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender, cut the ingredients together so that the mixture is crumbly. Combine the egg yolks and 1 Tablespoon of the heavy cream in a small bowl, and mix them together well. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture, and blend them together so that a smooth ball is formed (add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of cream if necessary.) Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Press each half into a 1-inch thick circle. Wrap the circles in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the pie crust for 25 minutes or until it is set. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Cranberries: Bring all ingredients to a boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until most of cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Allow to cool 10 minutes Before next step.

Assembly: Add the cranberry mixture to the maple apples, and combine well, but do not mush. Place the filling into the cooled crust, and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully move to a pie plate or platter. Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.

Yields: 8 servings

User Reviews