Apple Tart

[Gloria Kobrin, who graced our internet broadcast on August 15th – just a few weeks ago – graciously agreed to share one of the recipes from her Kosher Cookbook app for iPhone and iPod. Gloria shares her recipes and cooking tips on her Kosher Cookbook page on Twitter.com/Koshercookbook, on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/KosherCookbookApp?ref=nf, and on her blog at: www.koshercookbook.blogspot.com. While this dessert can be enjoyed at any time, it acquires special significance during Rosh Hashana. CS]

Photo by: Gloria Kobrin

Serves 10-12

The sweetness of the apples and vanilla contrasted with the tart marmalade and Grand Marnier baked in a rich crust is spectacular. The extra hand work is worth it.

Ingredients

Crust

• ¼  pound pareve margarine
• ½  cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons  ice water
• 1 ¼ cups flour

Apple Filling

• 8 large Golden Delicious apples
• ¼ pound pareve margarine
• One inch piece of fresh Vanilla bean
• ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
• ½ cup tart orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (see comment and substitute)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Optional: 3 ounces toasted sliced almonds

Equipment

• 11 inch flan ring (or quiche pan with removable bottom)
• Cookie sheet
• Baking parchment
• Electric food processor
• Large skillet
• Fine sieve
• Pastry brush

Directions

1. Line cookie sheet with baking parchment and place flan ring on top of it. Set aside.
2. Put flour and ½ cup sugar in bowl of processor with steel knife attached. Pulse a few seconds.
3. Cut ¼ pound margarine into slices and add them to bowl. Pulse again until mixture resembles crumbs.
4. Beat yolks with water.  Pour this mixture through feeding tube while the processor is running . Turn off processor when a ball of dough has formed. It will be quite soft.  Scrape all dough into the center of flan ring and press it around the ring and up the sides until you have formed a tart shell. Chill for one hour at least.
5. Prepare apples while crust is chilling. Peel, quarter and core 3 apples. Slice them paper thin by hand or in the processor.
6. Melt ¼ pound margarine in skillet. Slice the Vanilla bean in half but leave its spine intact. Add vanilla bean to melted margarine. Add sliced apples to pan and stir constantly until apples have browned. Press down on the vanilla bean to make sure that it has released all its seeds onto the apples. Remove vanilla bean.
7. Remove tart shell from refrigerator. Arrange sautéed apples in an even layer on the bottom of shell.
8. Preheat oven to: 400 F.
9. Peel, quarter, core and slice remaining apples thinly. Place these apples in consecutive layers on top of the sautéed ones. Keep layering apples until they are all used up.
10. Sift ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar over top of tart. Place tart in oven and bake for 45-60 minutes. Watch it carefully to be sure crust doesn’t burn. It will darken considerably.
11. Place apple tart on cooling rack. Melt marmalade with one tablespoon water (can be done in microwave).  Stir in Grand Marnier. Brush glaze gently over the top of the tart. Sprinkle with toasted almonds if desired.  Chill. Serve tart at room temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

On Tonight’s Internet Radio Show: A Conversation with Gloria Kobrin

This evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), The Kosher Scene Radio Show will host Gloria Kobrin. Who is Gloria?

Gloria Kobrin, has been married for 40 years. As a mother of two, grandmother of two, she’s cooked her whole life for groups ranging from 4 to 100. She specializes in creating delicious gourmet food that is not only easy enough for the home cook to prepare but also happens to be Kosher. Mrs. Kobrin is the author of the Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone and iPod.

Gloria shares her recipes and cooking tips on her Kosher Cookbook page on Twitter.com/Koshercookbook, on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/KosherCookbookApp?ref=nf, and on her blog at: www.koshercookbook.blogspot.com.

Soon after Gloria married she, and a friend, began the Kosher Gourmet weekly column in the Jewish Week. She also taught a Lunch and Learn series of cooking classes at Yeshiva University, while – at the same time – selling boutique baked goods from her home: fruit tarts, candied nuts, and specialty birthday cakes.

Besides cooking, and baking, she’s been quite busy ghost writing poems and speeches for Bar Mitzvahs, weddings and miscellaneous celebrations. She has a certificate in translation (French to English) from NYU School of Continuing Education and is a trained mediator  for community issues and has additional training in family and divorce mediation.

We will be discussing not only her cooking and baking, but who she is as a person and as a proud Jew.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it please listen to our archived show with Menachem Lubinsky, the walking encyclopedia of kosher marketing and its history.

Please tune us this evening on BlogTalkRadio.com/kosherscene, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), The Kosher Scene Radio Show will host Gloria Kobrin. We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS