Apple and Honey Tarte with Almond Crust

L'Shana Tova! Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and I'm off to the Upper West Side to visit my dad's cousin, Clarice. Every year I make something with apples and honey, eaten on Rosh Hashanha to express hope that the coming year will be sweet. This year, it's a French-style apple tarte, drizzled with honey and baked in a gluten-free almond short crust. 

The crust recipe couldn't be simpler, and you could used it for any sweet filling. Pre-bake for pudding or fresh fruit tartes. I par baked it for 10 minutes at 325 degrees before adding a healthy schmear of homemade spiced apple sauce, then layers of very thinly sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon, drizzled with honey, and dotted with butter. I baked the tarte for about an hour at 325 so as not to burn the almonds in the crust, but you could shorten the time and crank up to 350 if you watch the edges carefully. Make sure to place the filled tarte pan on a large baking sheet for baking, so you don't risk ruining the delicate crust as you take it out of the oven. 

For one 10-inch tarte pan with removable bottom, you will need:

• 2 cups blanched almond meal
• 3 tablespoons glutinous (sweet) rice flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cold butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces.

Directions:

Cut the butter into other ingredients with a pastry cutter, a food processor, or your fingers. As the butter warms, the dough will start to hold together. Press firmly into your tarte pan. Prick with a fork before par or pre-baking.