Chestnut Apple Tart
Crisp pastry shell with chestnut mousse, an apple compote, and mascarpone whipped cream.
Servings 9 servings
Calories 282kcal
Ingredients
Almond Pate Sucree
- 113 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 70 g powdered sugar sifted
- 1 egg
- 60 g almond flour
- Pinch of salt
- 230 g all purpose flour
- 20 g white chocolate melted
Chestnut Mousse
- 24 g cold water
- 4 g unflavored gelatin powder
- 145 g roasted chestnuts
- 120 g whole milk
- 75 g sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 150 g heavy whipping cream
Apple Compote
- 24 g cold water
- 4 g unflavored gelatin powder
- 40 g sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- 300 g apples cored, peeled, and finely diced (about 2 apples)
- 100 g apple puree*
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 105 g heavy whipping cream
- 45 g mascarpone cream
- 15 g powdered sugar sifted
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Almond Pate Sucree
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a medium low speed until smooth.
- Scrape the bowl down and add the egg. Mix on a low speed just until the egg starts to incorporate, but is not fully combined.
- Scrape the bowl down. Add the almond flour and salt to the stand mixer. Beat on a medium low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the flour and beat on low until only just combined. A few streaks of flour okay. If needed, finish mixing the dough by hand with a spatula.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Wrap them in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll one portion of the dough out to 3mm thick, forming a 12 inch circle. Gently transfer the crust to a 9 inch tart pan. Press the dough into the corners and trim off any excess. Prick the bottom of the crust thoroughly with a fork, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- While the crust chills, preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Line the tart shell with parchment paper (crumpling it up a few times makes it easier to work with) and fill with pie weights. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment paper lining. Return to the oven and bake an additional 8- 10 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown.
- Cool the crust completely. Before filling in the next step, brush the bottom with a very thin layer of melted white chocolate to prevent a soggy bottom.
Chestnut Mousse
- Combine the water and gelatin, mixing to avoid lumps. Set aside to bloom.
- In a small saucepan, combine chestnuts, milk, sugar, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately cover and remove from heat. Steep for 10 minutes.
- Add the bloomed gelatin to the saucepan and stir until melted. If the mixture isn't warm enough, place on a low heat JUST until the gelatin is melted.
- Pour the milk mixture into a food processor and add the vanilla. Process until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. A few bits of chestnut are fine, but there should be no large chunks. Transfer the warm puree to a clean bowl.
- Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the puree in 3 parts. Be careful not to knock out too much air.
- Pour the chestnut into the prepared tart shell, filling it up only half way. You will have extra mousse.
- Cover the tart pan (no need to press cling wrap onto the surface) and chill until the mousse is set, at least 2 hours.
Apple Compote
- Combine the water and gelatin, mixing to avoid lumps. Set aside to bloom.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.
- In a saucepan, combine the diced apples and half of the sugar mixture. Cook on a medium- low heat for about 20 minutes, or until mostly cooked, but still slightly crisp. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Pour the apples into a clean bowl and set aside.
- In the same saucepan, combine the apple puree and remaining sugar mixture. Cook on a medium- low heat until it reaches 140℉. Remove from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has completely melted.
- Pour the warm puree over the diced apples and gently combine until evenly coated. Gently spread over the top of the set chestnut mousse and smooth into an even layer. You will likely use all of the compote, but that depends on how much mousse you added to the tart shell.
- Chill in the fridge until set, at least 2 hours. Keep the tart covered, but do not press cling wrap onto the compote.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- In a bowl, add the heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla. With a handheld mixer, beat on a low speed until the mascarpone is completely combined.
- Increase the speed slightly and whip until the cream holds soft to medium peaks.
- Immediately pipe onto the set apple compote.
Notes
- To make apple puree, blend unsweetened applesauce in a food processor until smooth.
- Wrap the unused portion of dough well and store in the freezer for up to a few months.