News flash: Apple pie doesn’t have to be a huge production if you use this simple, easy- to-handle crust. We adapted this from Rick Bayless’ “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” Makes 6 tarts.
Ingredients
DOUGH
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Salt
4 ounces (1/2 cup) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
FILLING
Three tart apples, cored, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup red currant jelly
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Dough: In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pulse to mix thoroughly. Add 4 ounces (1/2 cup) butter and cream cheese, then pulse 5-6 times, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Drizzle vinegar and 1 1/2 tablespoons ice water over dough and pulse 3 times to bring mixture together into rough clumps. Turn out onto your work surface, divide into 6 parts and roll each into a ball. Place balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Filling and assembly: Melt jelly over low heat, being careful not to boil or scorch. Stir in lemon juice. Pour mixture over sliced apples and toss gently.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out tart crusts one by one. They should be circular, but they don’t need to be perfect. Transfer crusts one at a time to a baking sheet (three will fit on one sheet). Arrange apples in an interesting pattern on the crust. Crimp edges of crust up a bit to create a rim. Brush apples and edges of crust with left over jelly mixture. Bake until crust looks golden and crispy, about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm plain, or with vanilla ice cream.
WINE IDEAS: Instead of making icewine from grapes, in Quebec many people are using apples. The result is wines like La Face Cachée de la Pomme, a golden elixir that tastes like a bushel of perfectly ripe apples yet feels as light as air. It runs about $27 for a 375ml bottle, but it’s so intense that a little bit goes a long way. Tara Q. Thomas
