Since I started learning how to bake almost two years ago my husband has been requesting that I make him an apple crumb pie. He would always recall a time that one of aunts brought over apple crumb pie, he couldn't remember if it was homemade or store bought, but either way, he said it was amazing. And he remembers having two pieces. It was that good.
thinking, Ummm....I don't really want to make that. I would bake all kinds of things, and I was baking all the time. I would make rustic breads, cream scones, brownies, cookies, and tarts of all flavors. I even once made an apple crumb cake. But I just never wanted to make that apple crumb pie. And to be honest, I have no idea why.
But since it was my husband's birthday. And since I had already satisfied my craving to bake new and unknown things. I decided it was time to make an apple crumb tart. And you know what, it was pretty good. I would make it again, and maybe even eat two servings in a row like my husband did the first time he ate apple crumb pie. Or like we both did this time.
Apple Crumb Tart
Shortbread Tart Dough
1/2 cup sugar
11 Tbs butter, room temperature
1-3/4 cups flour
1 egg yolk
Filling
4 apples, peeled cored and diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
Squeeze of lemon
Crumb
3/4 cup flour (100 gr)
2/3 cup sugar (120 gr)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup sliced almonds
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk and mix until well incorporated. Add in the flour and mix until the mixture just comes together. It will be a little crumbly. Press it together with your hands, and form a disk with the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. You will want to wait the full hour because it makes it infinitely easier to roll out. You can make the dough the day before, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the tart dough. It will need to soften a bit once taken out of the refrigerator. Don't let it get too soft, just enough so that it starts to give when you try to roll it out. Roll it to about 1/4 thickness, and wide enough to fit a 9" tart pan. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin, and gently lay over the pan. Pat it in to make sure it is snug in all corners. If it starts to break, don't worry, it happens to me every time. You can just put it back together with your fingers. Sort of patch it up with the remaining dough.
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling.
In the bowl of a food processor, place all the ingredients for the crumb and pulse. Pulse until you reach the consistency of big bread crumbs,
Pour the filling into the tart pan. It will look like a lot of apples, but they cook down a great deal, so pile them in. Top it with the crumb mixture. I like to squeeze some of it together to form bigger "crumbs". Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until the crust and crumb are golden brown.
Allow to cool for at least thirty minutes.
Eat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy.
