Chez Panisse Almond Caramel Tart
Although French baking is kind of my playground, I enjoy taking on a challenge once in a while. And this week, I decided it was time for me to tackle the infamous Chez Panisse Almond Caramel Tart. Truth is, I had never heard of this Caramel Almond Tart up until a few months ago, when I started to really dig into French food writers and cooks operating from or hailing from North America. I discovered this recipe on David Lebovitz’s blog, which I learnt is incredibly famous (but not at…
- Prep time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- For the tart dough:
- 1 cup (140g) flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 115g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into little cubes
- 1 tablespoon ice water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- For the tart filling:
- 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (80g) sliced almonds (I have used a mix of blanched and unblanched)
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (or Cointreau or Amaretto)
Instructions
- 1
For the tart dough:
- 2
In a large mixing bowl or in a food processor, mix the flour and sugar together. Add the butter and mix (or pulse) until the butter is just incorporated, with tiny bits still visible. Add the water and extracts and mix until the dough just comes together (do not overmix!).
- 3
Press into a flat disk, wrap in a plastic film and chill thoroughly in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- 4
Let the dough come to room temperature and press it into a 9” spring form tart shell using your hand/palm first, and then your finger tips to even out the dough on the bottom and the sides.
- 5
Put the tart shell in the freezer and chill thoroughly again (for about 20 minutes).
- 6
When ready, pre-heat the oven to 375F. Bake the shell for about 25 minutes, until the edges turn lightly golden.
- 7
Meanwhile, prepare the tart filling.
- 8
In a big pot, heat up the cream, sugar and salt together. Cook until the mix starts to foam up. Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the almonds, along with the almond extract and the liquor of your choice.
- 9
Mix with a spatula, making sure all the almonds are evenly coated. Scrape the filling into the tart shell (that should still be warm), stopping slightly below the edge of the crust (do not overfill!). Distribute the almonds evenly with a spatula, making sure there is no clumps. Place the tart in the oven, with a sheet of foil underneath to catch any spills (the filling will bubble while baking).
- 10
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes,until the top is a nice shade of creamy caramel (it will continue to darken after you take it out of the oven).
- 11
10 minutes later (allowing the tart to set a bit), loosen the sides of the pan with a knife and then remove the tart from the ring. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack.
- 12