Pomme Du Tarte

Gosh-- sorry I've taken absolutely forever to post! I've been so crazy last/this week. The few weeks before finals can be really crazy! Last week, we had a Student Government Association potluck, but everyone was supposed to bring desserts. Great right? I decided to venture out of my comfort zone of brownies or cupcakes, and I attempted to make a Pomme du Tarte (French apple pie). This is what the finished product looks like (without the glaze):

The French have delicious pastries, and they don't have many ingredients to them. Although this Tarte doesn't call for many ingredients, it is extremely important to use the finest quality ingredients. Definitely do not use vanilla extract, use a vanilla bean or a vanilla bean paste-- it really does make a difference in cooking.

This tart has many steps, but first you have to prepare the French Cream

French Cream:

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks
6 to 8 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring)


Preparation:
In a saucepan, heat the cream with the vanilla bean almost to boiling. 

While the cream is heating up, mix the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, then whisk in the flour and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth. 

Remove the vanilla bean from the cream, and gradually whisk the hot heavy cream into the egg mixture. Make sure to not add the hot heavy cream too fast, because you don't want scrambled eggs!

Strain the mixture back into the saucepan, and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and boil. Continue cooking for a little more, whisking constantly to keep the pastry cream smooth. Keep whisking so that it doesn't only cook only on the bottom.

Remove the pastry cream from the heat. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to avoid a skin forming, and leave to cool.

The pastry cream can be used once it cools down, or you can cover it and refrigerate it until you need it. Stir chilled pastry cream before using.

Apricot Glaze:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 oz of Grand Marnier

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, bring apricot preserves and Grand Marnier to a boil. Lower the temperature so that the apricot preserve mixture is simmering. Continue stirring the apricot preserves mixture for about 5-7 minutes, then take saucepan off of the burner and set aside.

Ingredients for the tart:

Butter, to grease your pan

As many apples as you need to fill the tart (around 7, but I used around 9)

1/2 lemon or lemon juice 

1/4 cup sugar

1 package of frozen Pillsbury Puff Pastry

About (two/two and a half) big handfuls of slivered almonds

• Take out one puff pastry sheet and allow it to thaw

• Find yourself a tart pan and liberally grease it with butter

• Make sure to poke LOTS of holes into the puff pastry so that it stays flat like a pie crust and doesn't puff up like a croissant.

• Dump out all of your slivered almonds on top of the puff pastry and spread them around so that they evenly cover your crust.

• Pour the pastry cream out onto the layer of almonds, make sure to spread it so that it covers up the layer of almonds

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees 
• Take your lemon and juice the bowl (rub the lemon juice all around the inside of the bowl). Use an apple peeler and peel paper thin slices of apples. Place them in the bowl with lemon juice and peel all of your apples.

• After you have peeled all of your apples, roll an apple slice into a tight curl (this will be the middle of your first flower)

• Put your tightly curled apple slice in the middle of the tart. Work your way around the tight curled apple slice and work your way outward, so that each new apple peel forms a new: "petal".
• When you make the desired sized flower you want, place another tightly cured apple close to the flower you just made and add more apple "petals". 

• Continue making these apple blossoms until you cover up the top of your tart. 

• Put your tart on a baking sheet, and place it in the oven. 

• Cook your tart for approximately 40 minutes-- or until the crust of the tart is a golden-brown.
• Take your tart out of your oven
• Reheat your apricot glaze on the stove, and bring it to a boil.
• Slowly pour your apricot glaze onto the tart, so that the top of the tart is completely covered with your apricot glaze.

Sorry I didn't get a final picture of the tart with the apricot glaze! Just know that it looked really nice and it was ALL eaten!! Have fun making your own Pomme Du Tarte!