Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

I usually save pie crusts for the experts in my life ( Tom and Kellie ) but I just love an easy free-form tart. This one is perfect for a quick holiday dessert and uses a great trick to get that flakey crust. First, freeze the stick of butter, then grate it using a box grater into shreds. This keeps the butter chunky, and the dough flakey.

Serve with or without the caramel sauce.

APPLE TART WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

SERVES 8

Crust

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

pinch of salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter ( frozen)

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

5 apples ( cortland, gala or your favorite pie apples) peeled, cored and sliced

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon butter

Caramel sauce

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons corn syrup

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Make crust. In a small bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Using a box grater, grate butter into large shreds ( like mozzarella). Add to flour mixture. Add water and use your hands to combine ingredients together. Add more water if needed to bring the dough together. Be careful not to over work the dough. You want to have the butter flecks. Form into a disk , wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be made 2 to 3 days in advance, or frozen one week in advance)

2. Preheat oven to 375 F.

3. In a medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss to coat apples. Set aside.

4. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.

5. Place dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place apples into the center of the dough. Fold edges of the dough up and slightly over the apples to form an outer crust. Dot apples with butter.

6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove pan from the oven. Using a large spatula, carefully remove tart from the parchment.

7. Serve warm or at room temperature, with or without a drizzle of caramel sauce.

8. Make caramel sauce. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. boil without stirring until mixture is a deep amber. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and heavy cream ( mixture will bubble a lot!). Add salt. Stir. Serve warm. ( Can be made 1 week in advance. Store refrigerated, in an airtight container. Microwave gently to re-heat.)