Thin-Crusted Apple Tart with Chipotle Chili Powder. Yep, I’m smiling. But then again I geek out about this stuff, you know I do. I love unexpected ingredients.
It started with sea salt and caramel (back in the day). Salt on candy? Ewwwwe. No. Thank. You.
Then of course you tasted it. Suddenly all you thought you knew about life, mankind and our place in the continuum of the universe got kicked in the… um… well… below the belt.
From there it was like a house of cards– played too high and built too close to the slamming door. Crash and tumble. Screams and giggles. Pretty soon you were putting vinegar on strawberries, and squeezing limejuice onto corn. What would be next chocolate and chilies?
So when I saw this tart recipe in the LA Times I did not even blink an eye. Of course smoky, spicy chipotle powder BELONGS on an apple tart, right? Apples have always played nicely with cinnamon and spice. It just turns out its latest playmate is not that nice. Nope, devious chipotle doesn’t mind creeping up on you and biting you where you least expect.
Which is what I love about this recipe. The chipotle kick is subtle and sophisticated and downright addicting. But it’s a kick you won’t soon forget.
Thin-Crusted Apple Tart with Chipotle Chili Powder serves 8
CLICK here for a printable recipe Adapted from Michele Anna Jordan via LA Times Food Section
- 1 c flour
- 1/2 t plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into ¼‑inch cubes and chilled
- 4 T ice water
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 4 apples, preferably *Gravenstein
- 3 T melted butter
- 3 T sugar
- 1 t ground cinnamon
- 1/8 t ground clove
- 1/8 t ground nutmeg
- 1/8 t chipotle chili powder
- 3 T warm hot pepper jelly
In a large bowl, combine the flour with one-half teaspoon salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fork to work the butter into the flour, forming an even crumb. Work quickly so the butter stays cold. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons of ice water and mix quickly with a fork, careful not to overmix. The dough may not come together completely; this is fine. However, if the dough feels especially dry, drizzle over up to 1 additional tablespoon of ice water.
Place the dough in the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap around the dough, pressing the dough into a disk. Seal tightly and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, fill a medium bowl half full with water and add the lemon juice. Peel the apples and halve them lengthwise. Core the apples with a sharp knife or melon baller and trim the ends. Place the apples in the acidulated water as they are peeled and trimmed so they do not brown.
Cut the apples lengthwise into very thin (one-sixteenth inch) slices, and return to the water.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle your work surface generously with flour. Roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle; the dough will be about one-eighth-inch thick. Carefully transfer to a nonstick, rimmed baking pan.
Turn up the outer edge of the circle of dough to form a one-half-inch rim. Use the tines of a fork to press the rim into place and to prick the tart in several places.
Drain the apples, shaking them vigorously to remove excess water. Set the apples out on a dish towel to dry. Arrange a circle of overlapping apple slices at the far edge of the dough. Add a second circle inside the first and a third inside the second. Finish with a small circle of apples in the center. You may not use all the apples.
Using a pastry brush, coat the apples and outer rim of the dough with the 3 tablespoons of melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, chipotle chili powder and remaining one-eighth teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples.
Bake the tart until the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Set the tart on a serving plate and gently brush the top of it with the warm pepper jelly. Cut the tart into wedges and serve immediately.
*The apples in this tart were provided to me by Sabastapol Gravestein Apples
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
Sippity Sup
Oh My. I mean OH MY…everything I love in one luscious dessert.
I am very excited for you. This tart should definitely be in the book.
LL
I’m allergic to pecans, are you trying to kill me? ha ha (but really allergic)
Still so proud of you and your cookbook deal!
Lucky in love AND now a cookbook! Congratulations, Greg! So excited for you and that we’ll be able to enjoy your wit and recipes in hard cover (an iPad version would be nice, too) 🙂
I prefer celebrating March 8th, the International Women Day, but it’s hard to elbow it in past the Valentine’s Day:) I don’t care what day of the year it is, celebrating love is the only thing that matters. You and Ken are an inspiration:) And pairing chocolate with pecans can only make you more endearing:)
Happy for you, always!
dude, because you share your awesome food and wit with the world!
You had me at “dense chocolate custard cream”. Holy moly! And congratulations on the cookboook!! You know I’ll be proudly displaying one of those bad boys in my kitchen ASAP 🙂
I don’t even like chocolate (I know, I’m not a normal woman, I hate shopping too), but I’d eat a big piece of this!
decadent…
Nice to see the great mood that brings the great food.
I’m a little confused — is that one egg for the crust and two eggs for the filling?
Seems like a lot of dough for the crust, did you mean to say divide into two disks?
Thanks, it looks delicious!
3 eggs. 1 for dough, 2 for filling. And yes there will be extra dough. I edited the recipe to clear this up. Thanks GREG
Just in time for holiday gifts!
Hi!! i am so happy after seeing your post and pictures!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely tart!
ok, you know how i feel about chocolate — so that tart looks amazing! more importantly, i hope this year continues to bring you lots of smiles! 😀
I had your post open all night… I had meant to comment but obviously forgot. I mean, how is that possible? Look at this tart!!! I want the whole thing… all to myself.
I am SO happy you’re happy. And for those of us who HAVEN’T been lucky in love…you’ve allowed us to be lucky in dessert. I’m not sure which is actually better. 😛
looks yummy. congrats on the book!
Holy cow.. look at that chocolate drizzled over the pecans and that perfect crust. I could take this into a closet with a really big spoon and not come out til it’s gone.
lovely tart and your love story makes me smile, in regard to the potato stamps you can eat them if you like taste of paint!
so excited for your cookbook your a star and deserve all the success in the world
You always make me smile, Greg and this beautiful tart makes that smile spread ear-to-ear.
mmmmmmmmmmm
This looks amazing and I love that you’ve made it double pecan‑y. Congratulations on the upcoming cookbook — you have lots to celebrate today!
This is just gorgeous! I love the idea of a pecan crust…and can’t wait to try it out on a few other recipes!
you pulled out all the stops w/this one Greg … and I too, have been lucky in love for the last 15 Valentine’s days; in fact, The Professor and I were just talking this afternoon that 15 years ago, he wrote a song for me, recorded it, gave it to me on a CD and he told me he loved me for the first time … 11 days later he asked me to marry him … 10 days after that we were married … life is bliss … and I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOUR BOOK!!!!!!
This is absolutely sinful!!
Happy Valentines Day!
I cannot WAIT to own your cookbook!
greg- how or what to say here.
this is just heavenly.
butter, pecans, chocolate — my favorite food groups.
happy valentines day to you!