Also known as The Dessert That Saves Lives, The Five Minute Miracle, and A Really Good Apple Dessert. So, choose your own adventure on the title, homes.
What you need to know is that this is no ordinary Tarte Fine, the classic French apple and puff pastry tart. This bad boy hides a layer of delicious almond butter under the apples, which you don’t need me to tell you works amazingly, AND it gets topped off with an easy, boozy caramel sauce.
The reason this Almond and Apple Tarte Fine is such a killer recipe is that it is so, achingly simple. A round of puff pastry, a smear of almond butter, a layer of apples and a sprinkle of sugar. Burn some caramel, add a splash of rum and cream.
It takes half an hour in the oven, and then it’s done, and it LOOKS so good, and it tastes amazing and…ugh I just love it. A miracle, indeed.
Variations? There are a million of ’em! Firstly, and you should definitely do this, replace some of those apples with pears. Hella good. Secondly, switch out the almond butter. Nutella could be amazing? Any manner of jams? I’ve tried this with marmalade, because I’m a marmalade junky, and it was amazing, but that bitter tang isn’t for everyone.
And that caramel topping is crying out for customisation – I tweaked it with a sprinkle of smoked sea salt which was ridiculous. Different booze? A squeeze of orange? Whatever you want.
I’m sure that by now, you don’t need me to tell you to use all-butter puff pastry. And if up until now, you’ve thought to yourself, ‘yeah, sure, food community, I’m gonna waste my money on $10 sheets of pastry just because it’s all butter’, then PLEASE, just try it once.
You will see the inescapable truth, which is that all-butter pastry is the shit. It can’t be beat.
To state the obvious, this is clearly a great candidate for dessert. Totally delicious, everyone will be into it, and super easy to make. A scoop of ice cream, of a little cloud of whipped cream? Heaven. In fact, make a mixture of 50/50 whipped cream and sour cream, and then please invite me over.
But, I think this guy has just as much potential as what is essentially a REALLY tricked out cookie. Next to your mid-morning coffee I can’t think of anything better.
And that’s JUST what I’m gonna go do now! Eat me some pastry, and have a seriously strong cup of coffee! The book comes out next week, so I’ve been up late just generally freaking out about it, and I’m KNACKERED.
Oh, and hey, not if you do buy a copy, snap a pic of it and send it to me on Instagram, ok? Tag me in it, and I’ll share them all on this here blog! Happy Monday mi amigos!
xx Sarah.
AND PS – that gorgeous rose-handled knife was sent to me by the lovely people at Victorinox. Isn’t it a babe?
- 1 sheet, all butter puff pastry
- 2 large Granny Smith (or similar) apples
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup (50g) sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp rum
- ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- pinch of salt
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C, and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Cut a 9 inch (23cm) circle out of the pastry, and place it onto the baking sheet. Leaving a ½ inch (1cm) border, prick the pastry all over with a fork.
- Peel and core the apples, cut into quarters, and then into thin slices.
- Spread the almond butter over the pastry, leaving the rim exposed, and then arrange the apple slices over the top in concentric circles, starting from the outside and working in.
- Sprinkle the sugar all over the apples and pastry (including the border).
- Bake the tarte for 30 minutes, at which point the apples should be tender and a little scorched, and the border pastry should be puffed up and golden.
- To make the sauce, place the sugar, water and rum into a medium sized, heavy based saucepan. Place the pan over a medium heat, and cook, without stirring, until the sugar melts and turns a dark amber.
- Remove from the heat, and carefully add the butter and cream, stirring gently until everything is combined - BE CAREFUL, because it will sputter and steam a lot, and steam burns suck.
- When it's all combined place it back on the heat, just until it boils, and then you're done!
- Serve!
i like the sound of choosing my own adventuring title (: though “the dessert that saves lives” is sounding pretty good.
Love this – especially that rum caramel! Annnnnd the easy crust! So trying this SOON!
This sounds (and looks) unbelievably amazing!! The only thing that comforts me about summer ending is the millions of apple-based desserts I know will be popping up everywhere. This is a good place to start. I might make it tomorrow morning and just pretend it’s breakfast food.. xo
I love making tarts with puffed pastry because they’re so easy and have that beautiful buttery flavour! Looks delicious and I really love that rum caramel!
I’m all for a tart that uses puff pastry. The caramel apple combination has me dreaming of fall!
A glorified cookie for dessert?! I’m in.
This looks pretty amazing! I like how you totally broke the rules about slicing a tart into regular triangle slices. Eff the police! I’m so mega excited for your book to arrive on my doorstep, Sarah! The countdown is most definitely on x
mmm caramelised apple + almond butter + rum salted caramel sauce sounds like perfection, any time of day – glorified cookie or amped up dessert with melting ice cream on top!
You had me at smoked sea salt rum caramel. Amazeballs!
Sounds fabulous, I’m tempted by the marmalade version…and totally agree on the all butter puff!
That tart is super sexy – look at that caramel drizzle. Heck yeah!