Apple-Almond Tart

This dessert from California Cuisine by Diane Rossen Worthington is one of my all time favorites.  The professional presentation is matched by the great almond flavor in the filling.  Using my apple-corer-peeler-slicer makes preparing the apples a snap.  I use my pie dough which has a bit more butter, hence is flakier.

Serves 10-12

1 uncooked prepared 10 inch pie crust in a tart pan with removable bottom, frozen
1 ½ cups blanched almonds
¾ cup sugar
½ cube (2 ounces) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup Amaretto
2 eggs
8 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled cored and halved if not using the apple slicer
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 additional tablespoons sugar for dusting the apples
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the almonds and ½ cup of sugar in the bowl of your food processor, fitted with the steel blade and process until the almonds are ground fine.  Add the rest of the sugar, butter, flour and Amaretto; pulse the machine until a meal-like paste is formed.  Add eggs and process for 10 seconds to incorporate. 

Using your apple peeler, corer and slicer, prepare you apples into slices. Remove the unpeeled ends and cut in half.  Remove the core from the center of any of the pieces if necessary.  If you do not have that good apple slicer, slice the halves into ¼ inch slices evenly.  Arrange apple slices, overlapping them in concentric circles being sure to fit them tightly together (see picture above).  Arrange a second layer into the center of the pie and a third if your apples are smaller.  If you have a small circle, cut the remaining apples in cubes and make a pile of cubed apples in the center.

Brush the apples with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 1 hour, 30 minutes checking at 1 hour, turning the tart for even browning.  If browning too quickly, turn the heat down 25 degrees.  You want the tart well browned and the crust brown and crispy, almost overdone.

Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pan.  Serve at room temperature with vanilla or apple ice cream.  Refrigerate or freeze leftovers, if you have any.