This dazzling fall dessert features flavor-packed layers of spiced salted caramel, tart apple, sultry vanilla and elegant almond; topped with a mascarpone whipped cream and gorgeous roses made from thinly sliced apple.
With distinct layers of spiced apple caramel, vanilla almond crémeux, and mascarpone whipped cream all in a sweet and salty almond shortcrust, this stunning caramel apple tart will surely be the talk of the table!
Phew. This recipe almost did me in. Turns out adding bits of apple to chewy caramel resulted in a runny, weepy mess every time, no matter how firm the caramel was to begin with. And drying out the apples enough to avoid this wasn’t nearly as pleasant in terms of texture and flavor.
In the end, the answer to this pomme puzzle was, in fact, gelatin. A little bit added to the caramel/apple mixture took care of any excess moisture and resulted in a perfectly soft and chewy caramel texture without any ooze. Success!
Once I worked out all the kinks, this really is a gorgeous and delicious apple tart that’s not terribly difficult to prepare. There are a number of components, yes, but each one is pretty straightforward. And the final result is stunning, so I think the effort is well worth it.
Almond shortcrust. The crust falls somewhere in between a traditional pie crust and a shortbread cookie. It’s tender and buttery and delightfully crisp, with a bit of almond flour for added texture and flavor, and a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness of the filling.
Gooey spiced apple caramel. Chunks of brightly flavored apple swimming in a salty caramel sea, and infused with cinnamon and cardamom. A bit of gelatin helps the base to set up firmly and hold its shape even when sliced.
Vanilla almond crémeux. Somewhere in between a panna cotta and a creme brûlée custard, a crémeux is a creamy gelatin-set custard made from mainly egg yolks, dairy, and chocolate (in this case, white chocolate). I find the taste and texture similar to an ice cream base!
Mascarpone whipped cream topping. For a bit of lightness, this fluffy whipped cream is stabilized with a bit of mascarpone for added body and flavor, then piped on top in a gorgeous apple blossom design.
Apple roses. Garnishes like these serve two purposes: to make the dessert drop-dead-gorgeous (obviously), but also to hint at the flavors within. Because without the apples on top, how will you know that the tart is filled with apple-y goodness inside?
Like whipped cream on a pumpkin pie, the whipped cream topping really finishes off the flavors and textures beautifully.
To achieve the apple blossom design, pipe round dollops of cream evenly around the circumference using a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Then, using the back of a small spoon, swoop in towards the center. I find it helps to dip the spoon in hot water first, then pat dry (the warm metal will slide easier over the cream compared with a cold spoon). Wipe off between each swipe. Repeat the dollop and swoop in a second row (or three rows for a larger tart). Leave the center empty for the apple flowers.
The mascarpone whipped cream layer can also be simply piled on, with some nice swoops and swirls for a more rustic finish.
Since the tart itself is not baked (like a traditional apple pie), the tart shell needs to be fully baked beforehand.
The almond shortcrust pastry is particularly easy to work with; it’s not super crumbly like pie dough can be, nor does it shrink very much as it bakes.
When you drape the rolled dough into the pan, be sure you aren’t stretching the dough, rather letting gravity naturally ease the dough into the corners and crevices of the pan.
Once trimmed, freeze the unbaked tart shell for 15 to 30 minutes, then line with a crumbled up piece of parchment (the crumples help it fit into the corners without large creases). Then fill the parchment with sugar or weight of some sort, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (slightly more for a larger tart, tartlets will only need 10-15.) Remove the parchment and weight from the crust, and return to the oven for a few more minutes to dry it out.
Baking Tip: Skip the pie weights, and use regular old sugar to fill your parchment-lined crust! I learned this trick from Bravetart years ago and have never looked back.
The sugar can be reused multiple times, plus it gets nice and toasty in flavor and you can use it to add extra depth and dimension to your baked goods! The toasted sugar is particularly good in simple vanilla-forward recipes like ice cream and creme brulee.
Because the various layers of this tart need to set fully before adding the next, I recommend preparing it 1 to 2 days before you plan to serve it. For that reason it’s a great option for a make ahead dessert!
The crust dough can be made a few days ahead of time, and the tart shell can be shaped and baked a day or two beforehand (you can also roll, shape, and freeze the unbaked tart shell for up to a month ahead of time).
The caramel apple and creméux layers can be made a day ahead of time. Give the apple layer an hour or two to set in the fridge before pouring the creméux on top, then pop it in the fridge overnight to fully set.
Add the mascarpone whip and finish with the apple flowers the day of, though it’ll keep quite well in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. If you skip the mascarpone in the cream topping it won’t be nearly as stable, in which case I’d recommend making it no more than 2 hours ahead of time. But with the mascarpone, the cream will keep fairly well in the fridge for a day or two.
I think the apple flowers look best fresh, but if necessary they can be made a day ahead of time; just note that, especially with deep red apples, the longer they sit the more the color of the skins will bleed into the white flesh (I had a few that sat in the fridge for a week and started to look more like pickled red onions than apples, lol).
For the apple flowers, you want to find a red apple variety that’s on the soft side. Too crisp (like granny smith) and the apple slices won’t bend very well and won’t hold the flower shape without toothpicks. Gala apples, for example, were the softest and easiest to shape. I also had decent luck with Envy apples, which have a gorgeous gradated red skin and pink-tinged flesh that made for beautiful roses. They needed a bit more softening than the Galas, but the result was downright lovely.
The key to making apple flowers is to thinly slice the apples. I’m talking SUPER thin. If you have a mandoline and know how to use it (please use protection), that’d be perfect here. Otherwise, grab your sharpest knife and shave off the thinnest slices you can manage.
Soften the slices in a brine of hot water, sugar, salt, and citric acid. The heat helps soften the apples and make them more bendable, while the salt and citric acid will prevent the apples from oxidizing and turning brown.
Depending on how thin you were able to slice your apple, and the type of apple you used, the slices might need anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes in the warm brine until they are sufficiently soft. Keep in mind that the longer they steep, the more the color will bleed out from the skins.
Once the slices are soft and bendable, drain onto paper towels and pat dry. Arrange a row of overlapping slices on your work surface and then roll up as tightly as you can without breaking. Softer apples will keep their shape, or you can secure the rose with a toothpick (just remember to remove them before eating).
You can vary the size and shape of the roses by adding more or less slices to each rose. More, larger slices will make bigger flowers. I used less of the smaller slices to make some smaller accent roses, as I loved the look of 2-3 roses of variable sizes in the middle of the tarts.
This recipe is written for a standard 9-inch round tart or a 14-by-4.5-inch rectangle tart.
It’ll also make two 6-inch round tarts or eight adorable 3.5-inch tartlets.
Or, if you don’t have duplicate pans, you can mix and match and make one 6-inch tart and four mini tarlets (this is what I did, and what is pictured throughout this post).
If you want to halve the recipe (and just make one 6-inch tart, for example), things do get a little bit tricky as it’s really hard to measure out half and egg, for example. But it’s certainly doable (I recommend a kitchen scale, tare the weight of a small bowl and crack the egg into it. Whisk slightly, then measure out half by weight). You can also halve everything but the crust to avoid splitting eggs, in which case the leftover crust can be refrigerated for up to a week or even frozen for later use.
If you’re unsure about your tart pan size/volume, I find filling it with water to be easier than trying to math your way to a solution. Simply fill your pan with water and you can approximate the volume of filling you need.
For reference, the recipe as written will make about 250mL/1 cup of apple filling and 350mL/1.5 cups of crémeux. Be sure to account for the space the crust will take up as well in your estimations, and you’re not going to fill it to the tippy top either.
Apples: For the apples in the filling, I used a combo of Granny Smith and Gala and/or another slightly softer red apple. This provides a nice balance in the filling. For the apple roses, you definitely want a softer apple, which will be easier to bend and shape than something super-crisp like granny smith.
As a flavor alternative, I do think the filling would be lovely with pears too!
Gelatin: I prefer leaf gelatin in most situations, as it is clearer in appearance and has a cleaner flavor than powdered. I used Perfecta Gold in this recipe.
To substitute powdered gelatin, use 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin per 1 sheet as called for. Bloom the powdered gelatin in 1-2 tablespoons cold water for at least 5 minutes, then just before you need it, melt it in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds, then incorporate as instructed.
I have not tested this particular recipe with a vegan gelatin alternative (like agar), so I cannot advise as to its suitability here.
White Chocolate: the white chocolate in the crémeux adds structure and sweetness (but you really can’t taste it). Use a good quality white chocolate (not white baking chips). I used Callebaut white chocolate, which comes in callets and doesn’t need to be chopped. Caramelized white chocolate would be lovely here (either homemade, or you can use a product like Valrhona Dulcey). Valrhona’s Inspiration almond-flavored feves (basically almond-flavored white chocolate) would work beautifully (omit the almond extract if you do this).
In theory this would also work with milk or dark chocolate, although you’d end up with a much different flavor profile.
Almond Meal: The crust is made with a portion of almond meal to give it a light almond flavor and coarser texture. I used whole-almond meal (with the skins), so the appearance is darker and more speckled. Bleached almond meal or almond flour works here too, as will any other nut flour (like pistachio or hazelnut). In a pinch, you can sub whole wheat flour in its place (you may need a tiny bit more water to bring the crust together).
Almond Extract: The almond extract in the crémeux layer can be omitted, or replaced with any other extract to taste. You can also add up to 1 tablespoon of any liqueur (like amaretto, or apple brandy would be lovely here) for a boozy flavor twist.
Mascarpone: Mascarpone is an Italian soft cheese. The flavor is more mild than cream cheese, for that reason I do not recommend swapping one for the other though they may seem similar. You can also use just plain heavy cream in the topping, just know that the whipped cream will not be as stable and won’t hold up as well to piping.