Description
Michel Roux Jr’s Puff Pastry Apple Tart is a classic French dessert showcasing thinly sliced apples elegantly arranged over crisp, buttery puff pastry. Enhanced by a layer of stewed apple sauce and a delicate brush of egg yolk, this tart bakes to golden perfection and is served with smooth vanilla-flavored chantilly cream, with an optional flambé of calvados to add a warm, aromatic finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 200g ready-made all-butter puff pastry
- 2 tablespoons stewed apple or sweet apple sauce
- 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
Filling
- 6 apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 40g unsalted butter, diced
Chantilly Cream
- 250ml double cream
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
Optional Serving
- Calvados (optional, to serve)
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry: Roll out the puff pastry on a clean surface into a large, 3mm-thick sheet. Cut a circle about 25cm in diameter using a bowl or plate. Crimp the edge and flip the dough over onto a baking tray. Chill for at least 10 minutes to ensure the pastry remains crisp when baked.
- Spread apple sauce: Remove the pastry from the fridge and evenly spread the stewed apple or apple sauce over the surface, leaving a 1cm border clear around the edges to allow for puffing.
- Preheat oven: Heat the oven to 180°C fan (or 200°C conventional) / gas mark 6 to ensure it reaches the ideal baking temperature for the tart.
- Prepare apples: Slice each of the peeled, cored, and quartered apples into thin slices approximately the thickness of a two-pound coin to achieve a refined layering effect.
- Arrange apples: Starting from the outer edge, arrange the apple slices in a fan-like pattern overlapping each piece slightly and working your way inward, using the largest slices on the outside and the smallest in the center for an elegant presentation.
- Bake the tart: Sprinkle caster sugar evenly over the arranged apples and dot with the diced unsalted butter. Brush the pastry border with the beaten egg yolk to give it a shiny golden finish. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
- Make chantilly cream: In a chilled bowl, whisk the double cream with icing sugar and vanilla seeds until soft peaks form. This light and aromatic cream will complement the tart perfectly.
- Serve: Carefully transfer the baked tart onto a serving plate. If using, gently warm a splash of calvados in a small pan, ignite with caution to flambé, and pour over the tart to add a warm, boozy aroma. Serve immediately alongside the freshly whipped chantilly cream.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife to slice apples evenly for uniform cooking and appearance.
- Chilling the puff pastry before baking helps prevent shrinking and promotes better puffing.
- The optional calvados flambé adds a traditional French touch but can be omitted for a non-alcoholic version.
- For best results, use tart, firm apples like Bramley or Granny Smith.
- Double cream should be cold before whipping to achieve soft peaks efficiently.
