Rustic Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

Mooncrazy from Peanut Butter Etouffee sent me this fabulous recipe, which won her first place in her pie baking contest. Not only is the tart delicious, but the caramel sauce is a perfect accompaniment.

Rustic Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce
(makes two 10-inch tarts)

Pie Dough

2/12 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting board
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
6-8 tablespoons ice water

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in food processor work bowl fitted with the steel blade. Add butter and pulse to mix in five 1-second bursts. Add shortening and continue pulsing until flour resembles coarse cornmeal, four or five more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water over mixture and fold into dough. Press down on dough with spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if dough won't hold together. Divide in two and form two 4-inch disk. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic separately in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.

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Apple Filling

8 medium Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
3 tablespoons flour

1 egg white, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon milk

Saute apples in butter until lightly browned. Add sugar, lemon juice, zest, salt, and spices. Dust with flour and cook until lightly thickened. Cool 30 minutes.

Remove one dough disk from refrigerator at a time and roll on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Place each on separate parchment-lined cookie sheet. Top each with 1/2 the cooled pie filling, leaving a 2-inch border. Wrap the border gently over the edge of the apples, brush with beaten egg white and milk, sprinkle with sugar. Bake 425 until the crust begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Turn down to 375 and cook until crust is nicely brown and apples begin to bubble. Cool and serve with room temperature sauce.

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Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
1/2 cup apple sauce

Cook until it bubbles and is slightly thickened.

Grade: A