12/6/06: Deluxe Apple Tart

Source: The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts
10 servings
Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling
6 medium-sized Golden Delicious apples (about 2 pounds)
1 10- to 12-ounce jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Prepare pastry dough: Into medium bowl, measure flour, margarine or butter, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons cold water. With fingertips, mix together just until blended, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.
2. Press dough onto bottom and up side of 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom; refrigerate.
3. Prepare filling: Peel and core 3 apples; cut into chunks. In blender, combine 1/4 cup water with about one-third of apple chunks; cover and blend at high speed until apples are pureed. Add remaining apple chunks, a third a time; blend until smooth.
4. Pour pureed apples into 3-quart saucepan; stir in 1/2 cup apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons sugar. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook, uncovered, about 20 minutes until applesauce is very thick, stirring frequently.
5. Peel remaining 3 apples. Cut each apple lengthwise into quarters; remove cores.
6. Cut each apple quarter lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
7. In large bowl, gently toss apple slices with lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
8. Preheat oven to 400F. Fill tart shell with applesauce and cover with apple slices.
9. Bake tart 45 minutes or until apple slices are tender and browned. Remove pan to wire rack.
10. With spoon, press remaining apricot preserves through sieve into small saucepan; over medium heat, heat to boiling. Cook 2 minutes longer or until preserves are thick enough to coat a spoon. Brush preserves evenly over apple slices. Cool tart in pan on wire rack.
11. To serve, carefully remove side of pan.