Salted Caramel Apple Tart with a Brown Butter Crust

Salted Caramel Apple Tart with a Brown Butter Crust

This pretty tart is based on the classic French apple tart. The flavours are taken up a notch with barely brown butter in the pat-in-pan crust, a layer of salted caramel, and a layer of salted caramel pastry cream underneath a decorative layer of apples. A celebration of fall flavours! A firm apple like Granny Smith is a must for this tart.
Servings: 8 yield(s)
Prep Time: 180 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 210 mins
Ingredients
    For the Crust
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter (142 g)
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (181 g)
  • 5 tbsp granulated sugar (64 g)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • For the Salted Caramel Pastry Cream
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
  • 2 cups half-and-half (500 ml)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (3 g)
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch (22 g)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces (55 g)
  • 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
  • For the Salted Caramel
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (60 ml)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces (55 grams)
  • For the Apples
  • 5 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith Apples
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam (30 ml)
Instructions
    For the Salted Caramel Pastry Cream
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch. Set aside. If using a vanilla bean, cut the bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds from one half with the back of a knife. Wrap up the other half to use another time.
  2. Heat cream in the microwave for about 1 minute until warm.
  3. Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and turns an amber colour. Because this is a "dry" caramel, this happens quite quickly, so watch that you don't burn the caramel!
  4. Slowly pour in the cream and whisk constantly until all of the caramel has dissolved. The caramel will bubble up when you add the cream, so be careful! If you are using a vanilla bean, add the seeds and scraped bean pod now. Continue to heat over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.
  5. Slowly whisk one cup of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, to temper them. Then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining cream. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 30 seconds.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, and vanilla extract, if using. Remove the vanilla bean, if using, and pour the mixture into a bowl. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the top of the mixture and chill in the fridge for 3 hours to set.
  7. For the Brown Butter Crust
  8. Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C. Place a 9-inch/23cm round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom on a baking sheet.
  9. Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, stir with a spoon and watch the colour of the butter solids. When they have turned a light golden brown, remove from heat and transfer the butter to a bowl to cool for 5 minutes. Be careful not to cook the butter too long or the flavour of the crust will overwhelm the flavour of the filling.
  10. Once the butter has cooled a bit, stir together with the flour, sugar, and salt. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of your tart pan. Bake the crust for 30 - 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden and firm to the touch. Let cool completely.
  11. For the Apples
  12. Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into quarters and then cut each quarter into 4 slices.
  13. Heat butter over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet until melted. Add apples and 1 tbsp water and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the apples begin to become translucent and are pliable, about 3-5 minutes.
  14. Transfer the apples to a pie plate or baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Chill in the fridge until cool.
  15. For the Salted Caramel
  16. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, water, and salt over medium heat. Do not stir! Instead, gently shake the pan every so often until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture turns an amber caramel, about 5 - 10 minutes.
  17. Off heat, carefully whisk in cream, then butter and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. When the mixture has thickened and cooled slightly, pour the caramel over the bottom of the crust. It helps to pour it over the entire surface of the crust, rather than the centre, and then spread as needed to fill any gaps as the caramel hardens quickly. Chill in the fridge until ready to assemble the rest of the tart.
  18. For Assembly
  19. Place an oven rack in the top position and turn the oven on to broil.
  20. Spoon or pipe the pastry cream evenly over the bottom of the tart.
  21. Starting from the outside of the tart, lay the apples in overlapping concentric circles, gradually layering toward the centre of the tart until the entire surface is covered.
  22. Heat apricot jam in a small bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds until runny. Use a pastry brush to brush the jam over the top of the apples.
  23. Place the tart on a baking sheet and broil, turning frequently until the apples begin to caramelize on top. Be careful not to burn the crust!
  24. Chill the tart in the fridge until ready to serve.