Brown Butter-Apple Butter Tart and #BaketogetherParty

This is my first month of joining up with Abby Dodge’s BakeTogether where she posts a recipe near the first of the month and encourages all who are game to bake along with her. As it is the end of September, I barely made it! Abby is an accomplished baker and author, among other titles, and I am so pleased to join this group by baking in a similar spirit with them in my own kitchen. This month’s recipe offered was Brown Butter Apple Hand Tarts. I made my own version—a Brown Butter Apple Butter Tart-- using Abby’s recipe for a brown butter dough, then I added homemade apple butter and a crumb topping.

The brown butter dough was like a science experiment for me.  I never had considered this method for a dough and it was exciting watching as the butter heated up and browned in a saucepan; the nutty smell alone was surprise enough but the way the brown butter melded with brown sugar, egg, vanilla, salt and flour was especially rewarding. The dough came together in a moist ball which I pressed out with my fingers into a round tart pan. It molded easily to the shape and then rested in the refrigerator while I made the crumble topping. (Note: I halved the recipe for the dough from Abby's site.)

The crumble topping was the standard flour (1/2 c), brown sugar (1/4 c), butter (6 TB) mixture…but it needed something else…pecans! The nuttiness of the brown butter dough was an excellent base for the apple butter and the pecan crumble topping.

I assembled the tart and baked it at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. I barely let it cool before tasting it. Patience is not my strength in the kitchen! This sweet tart could stand its own on a Thanksgiving table next to (or instead of) an apple pie or a pecan pie. The forgiving dough, the simple filling, and the easy crumble topping make this tart a success in my book.

Thanks for the inspiration, Abby, and I hope to join your group in future BakeTogether efforts!