Thursday, August 27, 2009

Easy Apple Pie Alternative: Carmelized Apple Tart made in a Skillet

Probably just like you, I've been making homemade apple pies for as long as I can remember. Easy apple pie, French apple pie, sour cream apple pie - you name the apple pie recipe, I betcha I've made it.

But now I'm a caterer with a catering company, and people expect more from me than a plain (but good) old fashioned apple pie. So I went into "research mode" until I came out of my kitchen with this easy apple pie alternative: caramelized apple tart made in a skillet.

This really easy caramelized apple tart made in a skillet recipe always impresses people.

Think of it as apple pie retooled.

Not only does it taste good, but the beauty of it is... it's really fast and easy to execute.

Apple picking season is right around the corner. This a great time to get your family together to drive to the closest apple orchard in your area to pick apples. I'll leave it completely up to you... Make homemade pie crust yourself and tack on about 20 minutes. Or buy store-bought pie crust and you can assemble and place this delicious and easy apple pie alternative in the oven leaving it to cook for about 30 minutes. That means you can feed a hungry crowd a home cooked dinner and still spend the evening with your feet up and a good book, relaxing!

Caramelized Apple Tart made in a Skillet
Serves 8
Total prep and cooking time, 1 hour and 30 minutes

6 Rome Beauty or McIntosh apples (about 2 and 3/4 pounds), peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
Pie dough (recipe below) or 1 unbaked store-bought refrigerated pie crust (7 and 1/2 oz.)
All-purpose flour, for dusting

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out pie dough to a 1/8-inch thickness (or unfold store-bought dough). Invert (trace) a 9-inch plate on top of dough; trim dough around plate with a sharp paring knife to form a round (throw away scraps; or save for another use). Refrigerate until needed.
2.) Assemble tart in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Press the softened butter evenly into the bottom of the skillet, then sprinkle with the sugar. Arrange apple wedges in a circle around edge, then fill in the center with remaining apple wedges.
3.) Place the skillet in the oven; cook until apples have softened, about 30 minutes. Carefully place pie dough round on top; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.
4.) Let cool, about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of skillet, then flip tart over onto a serving platter. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cater-Hater Tip: Brew a pot of French roast coffee to accompany this delicious caramelized apple tart made in a skillet, and add a big scoop of Haagen Daas vanilla bean ice cream to go with it. A nice late harvest Riesling will pair well with this tasty dessert. However, I like a dry Blanc de Blanc to serve with sweet desserts. Enjoy!

Easy Pie Dough
Makes 1 pie crust

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
2 to 4 tbsp. ice water (make sure it's really cold)

1.) In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt and sugar several times to combine.
2.) Add butter pieces; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining
3.) Add 2 tbsp. ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if needed, add up to 2 tbsp more ice water, 1 tbsp at a time). Do not over mix!
4.) Turn out dough onto a floured work surface; knead once or twice, until dough just comes together. Wrap tightly in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

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Image source: rhosoi