Caramel Apple Tart

This is one of our very favorites from the Ivy Bake Shoppe book. As such, you know it's going to have tons o' sugar. But it's oh-so-good. And it has cayenne pepper and parmesan cheese in the crust. Nifty, eh?

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 stick cold butter
3 T. ice water
3 T. breadcrumbs

Filling:
5 Granny Smith (ONLY those--no others!) apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
3 T. flour
2 t. cinnamon

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cold butter
1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

For the crust, mix the flour, sugar, cheese, cayenne pepper, and salt together in an electric mixer. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse crumbs and then add cold water. Do not overmix. Mixture will hold together when pressed between your fingers.

Pour into a well-greased 9-inch springform pan [that's best - I used to do a pie dish and it wasn't deep enough and would spill over into the oven]. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the crust.

For the filling, gently combine all the ingredients together and then pour into crust.

For the topping, combine all the ingredients together and then sprinkle over the apple filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Drizzle with warm butterscotch caramel sauce (we use Mrs. Richardson's). Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Yum!