Tart of Apples and Browned Butter

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ½ cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup ice cubes
• Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil
• Filling:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 2 medium apples, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Step 1

Whisk the flour and salt together in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour. Turn the mixer on low and mix until the mixture looks like coarse sand—make sure there aren’t any big chunks of butter left, but be careful not to overdo it.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the cold water, vinegar, and ice. Add this mixture a tablespoon at a time to the flour and butter, mixing gently between each addition. Keep adding until the dough just comes together into a smooth ball that’s not sticky or crumbly. Shape it into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic, and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to three days.

Step 3

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Melt the butter slowly in a small skillet over low heat until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty. Take it off the heat and stir in the scraped vanilla seeds.

Step 4

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into about a 12x12-inch square. Transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Arrange the apple slices neatly on the dough in rows, fanning them out slightly, and leave about an inch border all around. Brush the apples with the browned vanilla butter, sprinkle with brown sugar, then fold up the edges of the dough over the apples and press down gently. Brush the crust edges with egg wash, then chill the tart in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 5

Pop the tart in the oven and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Then, turn the pan around, lower the temperature to 375°F, and bake for another 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Let it cool a bit before slicing into four generous pieces and serving.