Make a whiskey caramel sauce with Rattlesnake Rosie's Apple Pie corn whiskey, drizzle it on an Apple Almond Caramel Tart, and you've got a memorable treat!
Recently my friend Ken Gordon, of Gordon’s DTX fame, handed me a half-full bottle of Rattlesnake Rosie’s Apple Pie Corn Whiskey and asked me to “make something with it.”
Thinking hard, I remembered that I had once made a Port Wine Caramel Millionaire’s Shortbread for pairing at a North Shore Whiskey Club scotch tasting. I decided then and there to replace the port with the whiskey and see what would happen.
What came out of that grand experiment was Apple Pie whiskey caramel sauce, and the heavens opened and the angels sang, it was that good!
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Make the whiskey caramel sauce first
Making whiskey caramel sauce has a slightly different procedure than your basic caramel sauce recipe. You're reducing the spirit (in this case, that Apple Pie Whiskey) to a thick syrup, then adding it to the caramelized sugar in place of some of the cream.
You'll find the complete instructions here. Hope over there, then join me back here as we make the tart. It's ok...I'll wait for you.
What to put the Apple Pie whiskey caramel sauce on
Not any ole’ baked good will do.
Since I had been thinking about the desserts I was making for Thanksgiving the following week, I had Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Cranberry Almond Apple Pie top of mind.
“Aha!” I thought (yup, I actually thought that, though I didn’t say it aloud…that would be weird), “I have puff pastry and a bit of almond paste in my freezer, what about an Apple Almond Caramel Tart?”
Isn’t this how most great recipe ideas come about, with an inner monologue? No? Maybe it’s just me.
Make an easy puff pastry tart
Making a tart is just a matter of slicing apples, then layering the slices onto almond-paste lined puff pastry. Easy, Peasy!
A word of caution...please, please, PLEASE be very careful with a mandolin slicer! I've injured myself before and I don't want that to happen to you. ALWAYS use the food guard when using a mandolin.
You can always just use your knife to slice the apples, just make even pieces. (PSA over).
Okay, I must admit that I thought the almond paste would break up a little neater. Also, move the puff pastry to your Silpat- or parchment lined half sheet baking pan before topping it with the filling. You won't end up with stretched out dough.
Live and learn.
Looks aside, the Apple Almond tart tasted wonderful. Using that Apple Pie whiskey caramel sauce on it really amped up the flavor.
One taste of the Apple Pie Whiskey Caramel Sauce…wow! Intense apple pie spices, almost like a caramel apple (without the apple itself). Drizzled on the spicy, sweet, flaky tart…yummmm!
My friends at Whiskey Wednesday enjoyed the Apple Almond Caramel tart, especially since it paired well with the bourbon we were sampling.
Let your creativity reign when given a bottle of whiskey or bourbon...what flavor of Whiskey Caramel Sauce will you make?
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Recipe
Apple Almond Caramel Tart
Equipment
- pizza cutter or sharp knife
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted but still cold
- ½ package Odense Almond Paste
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 to 2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar, see Note
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash
- Whisky Caramel Sauce, warmed
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven for 400°F. Line a half-sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Cut puff pastry in half (if you prefer less puff part you could cut in three parts, which is what I did) and place on the baking pan. Chill as you prepare the filling.
- Thinly slice the apple. I use a mandolin slicer to get nice thin cuts, but please BE VERY CAREFUL when using a mandolin and always use the food guard. Otherwise you can take off the top of your finger (and I have!).
- Mix the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon sugar, and salt together in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Roll out almond paste to ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness, or just break into pieces.
- Working quickly, place the almond paste pieces on the puff pastry sheet to about 1-inch from the edges.
- Arrange the apple slices along the puff pastry in a line stacking the apples as you go. Brush edges with egg wash, and fold over to create a frame. Brush the top of the frame with more egg wash.
- Bake the tarts for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the pan from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.
- Put tarts on a cutting board and drizzle caramel sauce on top. Slice with a pizza roller, or sharp knife into 1-inch strips. Serve and enjoy!
