Nectarine-Apple Tart with Pecans and Pistachios
This creative version of fruit tarts turns everything inside out. Caramelized fruit is mounded in shallow soup plates, then surrounded by a ring of caramel sauce. The crust of the tart is turned into long thin tuiles which are placed on top. Of course there’s a scoop of ice cream! Note that the tuiles could make an appearance with many other desserts or as interesting cookies in their own right. By rolling them out on sugar instead of flour, you instantly give them a lovely glaze as they cook.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry dough - 1 , thawed
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Caramel Sauce
- Sugar - 1-1/2 cups
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Salted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 , heated
- Caramelized Fruit
- Apples - 4
- Nectarines - 2
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Unsalted Butter - 4 tablespoons
- Pecans - 8
- Pistachios - 100, shelled
- Vanilla Ice Cream - 4 scoops
Instructions
To prepare the pastry: Roll out the pastry dough to press flat, then roll up into a cylinder. Cut into small pieces, like small jelly rolls, cover with a damp cloth, and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Spread the sugar on a work surface. Roll out the pastry circles on the sugar, creating long oblong tuile cookies, about 3 inches wide, 6 to 8 inches long, very thin. Put on the prepared baking pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes, until the sugar caramelizes and the pastry is golden. Remove and let cool.
To make the caramel sauce: Place the sugar and water in a medium, heavy saucepan or saute pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, swirling occasionally. Cook, swirling the syrup in the pan, until the mixture turns golden brown. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the butters with a wooden spoon. Add the cream to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Be very careful as the mixture may spatter when the cream is added. Return the pan to low heat and stir constantly until the sauce is smooth. Set aside; keep warm.
To caramelize the fruit: Peel, core, and slice the apples into very thin sections. Cut the nectarines in half, remove the pits, and slice into thin sections. Melt the sugar in a non-stick saute pan or skillet over medium heat and cook until it turns light golden brown. Add the apples and toss them in the melted sugar off the heat until coated. Add the butter and stir together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cook until the apples are glazed and softened. Add the nectarine slices and gently stir into the mixture. Cook 30 seconds. Add the nuts and stir together. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.
To serve: Mound caramelized fruit in the centers of four soup plates. Pour a ring of caramel sauce around the fruit. Stand one tuile in the fruit on each plate At the last minute, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each and lay another tuile against the ice cream.
