Caramel Apple Slices
(Makes one 7 x 11-inch pastry)

Way back when I was taking pastry classes from David Munn at the New York Restaurant School, David instilled in us the importance of pre-cooking the apples before making an apple pie or other apple pastry. This really makes such a difference in the final product. The juices are released from the apples, so the pastry is not runny, and the apples have a much better texture. This recipe cooks the juices to a caramel, and the caramel is combined with the cooked slices, which makes a succulent filling. Be sure to allow time for the dough to chill before the tart is assembled. You can make this in a standard 7 x 11-inch pan, or you can use a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, like the one in the photo. You can drizzle some warm Caramel Sauce (see Recipes page) over the tart for a special garnish if you like.

Double batch of All-Butter Pie Crust:
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2/3 cup cake flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 ounces European Style unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, and chilled
3/4 cup ice water

Filling:
3-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
1-1/2 pounds Macintosh apples
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon, preferably Saigon or Vietnamese
1 teaspoon cardamom
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon light cream or half and half
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Make the crust. Place the flours, sugar, and salt into the work bowl of a food processor, and process the mixture for 3 or 4 seconds. Add the chilled butter cubes, and pulse several times, until the butter is cut into the flour in about pea-size pieces. Add all of the iced water in a drizzle, with the motor running, pulsing at the end, stopping the machine as soon as the dough starts to hold together.  Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gently kneading the dough with the heel of your hand a few times, to form a ball that holds together well. Divide the dough into two pieces, one a little larger than the other. Press the two parts into flat discs that are somewhat in the shape of the pan you will be using and wrap them tightly. Chill the dough for at least one hour.

While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Peel and core the Granny Smith apples, cutting them into thin slices. Do the same for the Macintosh apples, keeping them separate from the Granny Smiths. Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet, and when it starts to sizzle, add the Granny Smith apples, both sugars, the cinnamon and the cardamom. Cook them over medium high heat, frequently tossing them in the butter, for 5 minutes. During the cooking time, the apples will release their juices.  Add the Macintosh apples and continue to cook, still tossing occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Remove the apple slices with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the juices, and place the apples in a strainer that has been set over a large bowl. Move the drained apples to another bowl, and pour any juices that have collected in the bowl from the drained apples into the skillet with the other juices, along with the lemon juice. Cook the juices over medium high heat until they reach 220 degrees Fahrenheit, about 5 to 10 minutes. The juices will have formed a thick, caramel syrup. Let the syrup cool for 5 minutes, then add the apples back to the skillet and gently stir to completely mix the caramel in. Set this aside.

Preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or a convection oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. After it has chilled for an hour or more, remove the larger disc of dough from the refrigerator, and roll it out to a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Carefully place it into the baking pan, coaxing the dough into the corners at the sides and bottom of the pan. Cut off the extra dough evenly with the sides of the pan, and place the pan in the freezer while you roll out the second disc. Save all of the scraps of dough from both dough discs. Roll the second disc out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Use pastry cutters or a pizza or pastry wheel to cut out squares or rectangles to fit over the filling (see recipe photo).

Reserve the scraps, wrapping them and placing them in the fridge, to make Pie Crust Cookies (see Recipes page).

Remove the bottom crust from the freezer, spoon the apples into it, smoothing them to fit evenly, and then place the dough cut-outs onto the filling. Gently brush the cut-outs with a little cream or half and half, and sprinkle them with sugar.

Bake the tart in the preheated oven for about 30minutes, or until the dough is golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool.

When cool, cut the pastry into slices. Serve with crème fraiche, ice cream, or caramel sauce.

The pastry will keep, wrapped loosely with foil and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.

Make-ahead tips: Prepare the pie dough and store it, wrapped tightly, in the fridge, for up to 3 days. Or place the plastic-wrapped discs in a zipper-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. If frozen, place the dough in the refrigerator the day before you will  be using it. Cook the apples ahead and store them in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid for up to a week. When ready to assemble the tart, heat the apples gently just until warm, either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Store the completed tart in the refrigerator, wrapped with foil, for one day, or wrap it tightly in foil and freeze it for up to a month. Reheat it in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes to freshen it if it has been frozen.

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