apple-walnut-200x150.jpgDo you know what a bounce rate is? Neither did Penelope before she started this website, but apparently the bounce rate is the number of people who, as the song says, “Come and go in a big rush,” which was what was happening with Berlin’s visitors to Penelope Pies. Hundreds were clicking over every day but not staying long. Where were they going? Penelope needed to know. So, she scraped together all her unused miles and vacation time, and off she went to the City of Currywurst and Cabaret. And there, practically across the Unter den Linden from the grand and storied Hotel Adlon (where, by the way, Eva Braun lived out the war, and Penelope lived out her dream Teutonic vacation) she found her audience indulging in the irresistible treats at Cafe Einstein. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, try some of their famous Apple Tart with Walnut Cream Filling. Penelope especially recommends Cafe Einstein for breakfast, where the city’s bureaucratic elite eat (unless you’re okay with paying about $80 for the Hotel Adlon breakfast buffet). If you can’t get a flight over, try this recipe. The crust, like Cafe Einstein’s clientele, is rich and historically flaky.

Sweet Cookie Tart (Pate Sucre)

  1. 8 tbs unsalted butter
  2. ¼ cup sugar
  3. ⅛ tsp salt
  4. 1 large egg yolk
  5. 2 tbs heavy cream
  6. non-stick parchment paper

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt

Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal

In a small bowl, stir together the yolk and cream

Mix it into the flour mixture until the dough comes together and forms into a ball

Flatten into a 6” disc

Refrigerate for 30 minutes and roll out

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, remove from the oven and cool completely

The Filling

  1. 3 tart baking apples (Golden Delicious, Greening or Granny Smith)
  2. 2¼ cups water
  3. 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
  4. ¼ cup + 2 tbs sugar
  5. 1½ inches of vanilla bean, split and cut lengthwise
  6. ½ cinnamon stick

Poaching the Apples

Peel, halve and core the apples

In a skillet large enough to hold the apples in a single layer, combine the water, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla bean, and cinnamon stick, and stir to dissolve the sugar

Add the apples, rounded side down, and bring the liquid to a boil

Place a round of parchment on top of the apples

Simmer over low heat for 6 minutes

Turn the apples and continue simmering for 6 minutes more

The apples should be slightly firm

Remove the pan from the heat and cool, covered only by the parchment — about an hour

The apples can be used immediately, but they’re better if allowed to sit in the liquid for a day, or even up to 3 days.

The Walnut Cream

  1. 1 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted
  2. ½ cup sugar
  3. 2 tsp all-purpose flour
  4. ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  5. 7 tbs unsalted butter
  6. 2 large eggs
  7. ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

In a food processor fitting with the metal blade, place the walnuts, sugar, flour and cinnamon, and process until the walnuts are very fine

Empty the mixture into a bowl and set aside

In a medium bowl, beat the butter until creamy

Beat in about ½ cup of the nut mixture until incorporated

Beat in 1 egg along with another ½ cup of the nut mixture

Then beat in the second egg with the remaining nut mixture until incorporated

Beat in the vanilla

Refrigerate until about 10 minutes before assembling the tart

Putting it Together

Drain the apples well, rounded sides up, reserving the poaching luquid and vanilla bean

Discard the cinnamon stick

Slice each apple into thin slices, but not slicing all the way through to the bottom

Press gently on the top of each apple to fan the slices slightly

Spread the walnut cream evenly in the cooled baked tart shell

Lift each apple and position on top of the walnut cream

The Glaze

  1. ¾ cup reserved syrup from poaching
  2. 1 tsp cassava or arrowroot or cornstarch

Measure ¾ cup of the poaching syrup

Remove the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the syrup

In a small saucepan, reduce the liquid to ¼ cup

Cool to room temperature, then add the cassava root to the reduced poaching liquid

Stir constantly

Remove from the heat and pour the glaze into a small cup

Use a clean pastry brush to coat the apples well

Brush the remaining glaze onto the walnut filling

Unmold the tart and serve. The center should be slightly creamy