Apples and amaretti cookies tart

Ingredients

Short crust pastry

• 1+ 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp (180 g) pastry flour
• 1/2 cup + 1/2 tbsp (120 g) soft unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (65 g) icing sugar
• 2 small/ medium (25 g) egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 g lemon zest (organic)
• 0.5 g grated tonka bean
• 1.2 g salt
• 1.7 g baking powder

Almond and amaretti cookies crumble

• 1/3 cup (45 g) pastry flour
• 1/4 cup (60 g) soft unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp (35 g) brown sugar (Demerara)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (60 g) almond powder
• 2 oz (60 g) amaretti cookies coarsely crumbled, by hands
• A few drops of bitter almond extract
• A generous pinch of salt

Amaretti cookies sponge

• 1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp (65 g) soft unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) icing sugar
• 1 + 1/3 medium (65 g) whole eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup + 1 tsp (100 g) pastry flour
• 20 g Amaretti cookies powder
• 3.5 g baking powder
• A generous pinch of salt
• 5 tbsp + 1 tsp (80 g) whole fat milk, room temperature
• 4.5 oz (130 g) diced apples
• 1.5 oz (45 g) amaretti cookies coarsely crumbled, by hands
• A few drops of bitter almond extract

Extra

• Juice from 1 lemon
• Snow sugar
• Apricot jam

Instructions

Short crust pastry

I suggest to use a kitchen scale.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on low speed, knead all the ingredient together.

Knead until you get a soft and smooth dough.

Take 170 g of dough (which will be used for the tart base) and immediately roll it out between 2 sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 3 mm, trying to give it the most regular round possible shape.

Place in the fridge for 12/24 hours.

Roll out the remaining dough (which will be used for the tart edges) between 2 sheets of baking paper, again to a thickness of 3 mm, trying to give it the most regular rectangular possible shape.

Place in the fridge for 12/24 hours.

The next day, line a ring 18 cm in diameter and 4 cm in high (Pavoni) with a 4 cm high micro-perforated Airplus silicone strips (Silikomart).

Then use the shortcrust pastry to line the bottom and edges of the ring.

Prick the bottom with a fork and place the lined ring in the fridge for 6/8 hours.

Almond and amaretti cookies crumble

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, place the butter, brown sugar, powders (flour, almond powder and salt) and almond extract. Mix on speed 1 until you get a sandy mixture.

Crush the amaretti cookies with your hands and add them to the mixture and gently combine with a spatula.

Spread the mixture on a baking tray with a silicone mat (or baking paper) place in the fridge for an hour and then in the freezer until ready to use.

Amaretti cookies sponge

Peel the apples, cut them into cubes and sprinkle them with the juice of 1 lemon and set aside.

Beat the butter and the icing sugar with an electric mixer for a few minutes at medium speed.

Gradually incorporate the eggs, continuing to mix on low speed.

Then, add the mixed and sifted powders, alternating them with the milk.

Finally add the diced apples and the amaretti cookies roughly crumbled with your hands and mix gently with a spatula.

To bake

Heat fan oven at 320F - 160°C.

Sift the apricot jam through a fine sieve to obtain a smooth, homogeneous texture without fruit pieces.

Using a brush, spread a thin layer of jam on the bottom of the tart and also on the edges.

Spread 525 g of the sponge inside the tart shell.

Smooth with a small spatula.

Spread 140 g of crumble on the surface of the tart and bake on a micro-perforated baking tray and mat for 55/58 minutes.

To serve 

Let the tara completely cool before removing the ring and the perforated silicone strips.

Dust with snow sugar to serve.