I hope everyone had happy and peaceful holidays! I ended up doing some baking (but no photos, so unfortunately, no posts), taking care of a sick cat, and packing. I’m sorry to say goodbye to the holidays, but looking forward to the new year.

I received More from Magnolia as a Christmas present this year, and have been very excited to make something from it. Of course, I wanted the famous cupcakes to be my first, but unfortunately, didn’t have any self-rising flour at home, so I ended up going with this recipe, as it meant not having to leave the house on a cold, wintery day.

I am not crazy about it. It’s okay, but it’s lacking something. I find it extremely sweet – too much so. Next time, I’ll definitely cut the sugar in the topping. The hazelnuts were definitely a hit though, a touch of sweetness and nuttiness.

The filling was okay, but the apples didn’t stand out at all. I would add some cinnamon to the filling next time, and probably more apples.

As for the crust – again, it was just okay. Soli swears his piece had a bitter taste in the crust, but I don’t taste that at all. It’s a typical crust that stands up well to the filling.

If you like super sweet apple desserts, you’d probably like this. As for me, I’m hoping the cupcakes turn out better!

Apple Tart with Hazelnut Brown Sugar Topping
adapted from More from Magnolia

BROWN SUGAR TOPPING
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

FILLING
3 cups thinly sliced tart apples
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CRUST
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

TOPPING
1. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour and sugar.

2. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the hazelnuts and, using your hands, toss until all the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

FILLING
1. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated. Set aside.

CRUST
1. In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.

2. Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix well. Add the flour and baking powder, and beat just until combined.

3. Gather the dough into a ball and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out to fit a 10-inch tart pan. Fit the dough into the pan and trim the edge flush with the rim of the pan.

4. Transfer the fruit filling into the crust and sprinkle the borwn sugar topping evenly over the fruit. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes in a 325 degree F oven.

5. Cool on a wire rack for 1 – 2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.