Apple Rose Tart with Hazelnut Crust

We have an excess of apples that need to be used up so I decided to try my hand at this apple tart I had pinned for a while. If you are a Pinterest addict like me, you may have seen one of these elegant rose tarts already. The idea for an Apple Rose Tart originates with the legendary French pastry Chef Alain Passard.

I made this gluten and dairy free for anyone out there who has Coeliac disease or is lactose intolerant.

It is a beautiful alternative to a regular apple tart when you want something fancy to wow guests. It does take time to slice all the apples and assemble the tart. I threw a film on my laptop and watched and cooked. No more guilt about watching TV or tons of films. I do this all the time now.

I used my mandolin slicer to slice up the apples. If you're using a knife, I recommend sharpening it first. I love my slicer! It really speeds things up when I need things sliced super thin.

Ingredients:

For the Hazelnut Crust:

• hazelnuts, 2 ½ cups blended/crushed
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 large egg
• pinch of salt

For the Apple topping:

• 4-6 fresh, crisp red apples
• 1 lemon or orange
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of hot water (optional)

How To:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. In a food processor or chopper, pulse the hazelnuts until they are finely chopped, and the pieces are about the size of breadcrumbs. Be careful not to blend for too long or you'll begin to make nut butter. Place the chopped nuts in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients (keep a little egg to brush the tart), tossing together with a fork until blended.
3. Using a spoon, press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 22cm tart pan. Brush with the leftover beaten egg. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Allow to cool completely before adding the apple slices.

Assemble the tart:

1. Peel and core the apples, and cut into quarters. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice each apple into very thin slices.
2. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl with the lemon juice, honey, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and salt. Toss until evenly coated. Let the apples sit for 30 minutes to release their juices.
3. Strain the juice from the apples into a small saucepan. Over medium heat, simmer for about 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened. Set aside and reserve to glaze at the end.
4. Warm your apple slices in the microwave (30 seconds or so) until you can bend them but they aren't mushy or too soft. Or, you can also simmer the apple slices with the water in a small saucepan. Arrange the apple slices side-by-side, starting closest to the edge of the tart shell. For the second layer, arrange the slices, overlapping them in concentric circles. As you get to the centre, you'll need apple slivers that are very thin (bendier slices). Arrange the until the gap in the centre is completely closed with a rolled up slice. Fill in any spaces or gaps with remaining apple slices so they are packed tightly.
5. Brush the apples liberally with the warm glaze from the saucepan.
6. Cover with foil with vents for steam. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
7. Remove the tart from the oven and remove foil, then return the tart to the oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pie is bubbling and golden brown.
8. Allow to cool a little before serving.

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe. Check out my Pinterest Board with all of my other recipes here.

Emma x