Haroset Tart (Don't Passover This Recipe)

Happy Passover!

I did my Seder last night. To be honest, it wasn't quite kosher and far from traditional, but I had all of the elements there.

Instead of a roasted egg, or Beitzah, I made Deviled Eggs with Caramelized Onions and Tukrey Sausage; Instead of the Z'roa, or roasted lamb shank bone, I made Braised Lamb Shanks with Lentilles du Puy; instead of the traditional Haroset, a mix of apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine, I made this Haroset tart. It may not be traditional, but it was pretty tasty. Here's the recipe.

Pâte Sucrée:

250g Flour

100g Powdered sugar

1 Pinch of salt

100g Butter, cubed

1t Vanilla

1 egg

Mix together the flour, powdered sugar and salt. Add the butter and vanilla and using a pastry cutter, mix the ingredients until it's homogenous and there are no big pieces of butter left. Add the egg and lightly mix in it.

Turn out the mixture onto the counter, and using your palm, push the ingredients down and forward to press the ingredients together until they come together as a dough (fraisage).

Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the fridge 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough and line a tart ring or pie pan and dock the dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C , about 375F, until it is golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.

Haroset Filling:

25g Butter

2 Apples, peeled, cored, and diced

50g Sugar

1 Pinch of salt

100ml Red wine

1/2t Cinnamon, ground

60g Toasted pecans, chopped, plus more for sprinkling on top.

Heat the butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add the apples and caramelize gently, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and stir in. Cook until the sugar caramelizes as well before deglazing with the red wine. Cook until the wine reduces and becomes syrupy. Stir in the cinnamon and set aside to cool.

Leave the pecan aside to fold into the almond cream later.

Almond Cream:

120g Butter (room temp)

120g Sugar

120g Almond flour

2 Eggs

1 Pinch of salt

1t Vanilla extract

Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl using a whisk. Next, add the almond flour and eggs and mix in. finish by adding the salt and vanilla and then fold in the apple mixture and 60g pecans. Pour the mixure into the blind baked tart shell and bake at 160C, or about 350F, until the filling is set and it begins to brown on top. Halfway through the cooking you can sprinkle additional pecans on top as well if desired.

Once baked, remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool. Finish with powdered sugar and ice cream, crème anglaise, or any other toppings as you like.