Happy Pi Day

My darling daughter, Maddie, informed me that today is 'Pi Day'. I didn't know. How could I have missed it? So happy 3.14159265359......

It also happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday. It is a banner day and I'm late to the party, so let's celebrate with this pie or perhaps a free-form tart.  It isn't a pie and it doesn't go on forever, but it is round (well sort of) and quite delicious.

Apple-Frangipane Tart

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz 

Tart dough

1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup (4 ounces/115 g) cold unsalted butter

6 tablespoons (90 ml) ice water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or standing mixer with paddle attachment. Cut butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture. Mix until the size of peas. Add water and mix just until dough comes together. Gather into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate until chilled.

While the dough is chilling make the frangipane.

Frangipane

4 ounces (115 g) almond paste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons flour

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

6 tablespoons (3 ounces/90 g) softened salted or unsalted butter

1 egg, room temperature

Crumble almond paste and mix with sugar, flour, and almond extract in a food processor or standing mixer with a paddle attachment until almond paste is like corn meal. Add butter, then egg and mix well.

Tart

6 medium apples

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons (60 g) sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until approximately a 14-inch (36 cm) circle. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly round. It is a free-form tart. Using an small off-set spatula spread the frangipane over the dough leaving a small edge that can be folded over the fruit.  

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Arrange apples on top of frangipane. Fold the edges over the fruit. Lightly brush the crust and apples with melted butter then sprinkle with sugar. Bake about an hour until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Cool on a rack.