Cedric Grolet often dreams up fanciful sweets that mimic the appearance of its own flavors. At his two Paris shops, Cedric Grolet Opera and Le Meurice, he makes elaborate tarts and entremets that look, at first glance, to be an entire pear, or a single freshly picked clementine, until the first bite reveals a world of flavors inside.
This recipe has all of the imagination and none of the deception. Grolet worked with Matfer Bourgeat to build a special tart ring to accomodate his “tarte aux pommes XXL,” a classic apple tart made to epic proportions. Follow along with the recipe, below.
Apple Tart “XXL”
with Cedric Grolet
Croissant Dough: Ingredients
400 g type 45 flour
400 g type 55 flour
450 ml water
3 egg yolks
50 g powdered milk
20 g sugar
30 g yeast
15 g salt
50 g tempered butter
350 g “beurre de tourage,” aka Dry Butter, at 82% butter fat
Croissant Dough: Formation
Knead all the ingredients quickly, except the beurre de tourage, for about 6 minutes. Once combined, turn out and laminate the dough with the beurre de tourage with the help of a rolling pin, creating 3 folds. Chill your finished croissant dough in the refrigerator for three hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to a thickness of 3 cm and a diameter of 20 cm. Assemble the dough in an extra-large tart mold 18 cm in diameter. Create a clean upper edge by using a paring knife to remove excess tart dough from the top of the mold. Save the excess dough for another use by keeping in the refrigerator.
Almond Cream: Ingredients
50 g Butter
50 g de Caster Sugar
50 g de Almond Powder
50 g Egg (about 1 large egg)
Almond Cream: Formation
Using a paddle attachment, incorporate the butter with the sugar, then add almond powder. Gradually incorporate the eggs. Place the finished almond cream in a pastry bag and pipe on the surface of the tart in concentric circles.
Finishing the Tart:
Using a mandoline, thinly slice the apples into half-moon shapes. Decoratively arrange across the tart. Use a pastry brush to generously glaze the apples with a coating of melted butter. Sprinkle the assembled tart with light layer of brown sugar.
Preheat your oven to 345°F, and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Upon leaving the oven, brush the hot tart a second time with melted butter.
….et mangez!
Our mission is to support the creativity of Chefs with artisinal, durable, and innovative tools. Here, Chef Grolet uses a custom Matfer Steel Ring Mold, our Matfer 2000s Mandoline, Disposable Pastry Bags and Steel Pastry Tips.
Follow @cedricgrolet and @matferbourgeatusa for more tips, tools, and techniques.