Recipe: Glazed Apple Tart

Glazed Apple Tart
Source: Passover Seders Made Simple by Zell Shulman

This dessert is a family favorite. I adapted the crust so it adheres to Passover restrictions. Apples are available year-round. With so many new varieties, you may wish to mix 2 or 3 kinds together for the filling. This recipe also works well with sliced pears.

PASTRY:
5 tablespoons margarine or butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup matzo cake meal
2 tablespoons potato starch
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons liquid nondairy creamer or milk

APPLE FILLING:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons potato starch
Juice of 2 large lemons, divided
Juice of 1 orange
4 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

TO MAKE THE PASTRY:
Place the butter, matzo cake meal, potato starch, and sugar in a food processor and pulse several times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a 1-cup measure, mix the egg yolk, vanilla and the nondairy creamer or milk.

With the processor running, pour this through the feed tube, processing until the dough begins to form a ball around the metal blade. If the dough looks too dry, add more liquid. Press the dough over the bottom of the tart pan and 1 inch up the sides.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Mix 1/4 cup of the sugar and the potato starch together in a small howl. Set aside. In a 1-cup measure, combine 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and all the orange juice. Set aside.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture on top of the pastry. Arrange half of the apple rings on the bottom of the pastry and sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons of the juice mixture and 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture.

Place the remaining apple slices in the pan and sprinkle with the remaining juice mixture and sugar mixture.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar with the apricot preserves, citrus zests, and butter. Lightly brush half of this mixture over the top layer of apple rings.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the apples are render. If the pastry begins to get too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake more minutes. Remove the tart from the oven.

Preheat the broiler. Brush the remaining preserves mixture on the top of the tart. Broil the tart 6 inches from the heat until the apples are glazed and brown around the edges, 20 to 30 seconds. Watch carefully, as the apples brown easily. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.

Serve warm or cold with sweetened whipped cream if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings