Apple and Dried Plum Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream and Cognac

Crust

1 1/4 c a/p flour
1/2 t granulated sugar
1/2 t fine salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (preferably 0 trans fat), frozen, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter (4 T) cut into 1/2" pieces
3 T ice water

Filling

12 medium pitted dried plums (prunes)
1/3 cup Cognac (or brandy), of drinkable quality
4 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled, quartered, cored; each quarter cut into 3 wedges
3 T granulated sugar
3 T unsalted butter, melted, divided
1/4 cup apricot preserves, heated and strained

Vanilla ice cream

Special equipment - 9" removable-bottom tart pan

1. For the crust- blend flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Add the shortening and butter, blend by pulsing until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Add ice water, continue to pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball, and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour.
3. For filling: combine dried plums and Cognac in small bowl. Cover and let stand 2 hours, stirring often. Drain the dried plums, reserving the Cognac. Cut the dried plums in half, set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 400*. Position a rack in center of oven. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, into a 12" round. Transfer dough to a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Fold overhanging dough in and press, forming double thick sides, refrigerate crust for 30 minutes or place in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Mix apples, sugar and 2 T of butter in large bowl. Pile apples into dough-lined tart pan.
6. Bake tart until apples are just tender, about an hour.
7. Tuck rehydrated dried plums into spaces between apples. Brush fruit with remaining T of butter. Bake until apples are very tender and crust in golden brown about 20 minutes longer.
8. Blend 1 T of reserved Cognac into strained preserves to make a glaze. Brush glaze over warm tart.
9. Cut tart into wedges and serve warm or at room temp with ice cream. Drizzle some of reserved Cognac over ice cream if desired.

I got this recipe from a Viking cooking class I attended. I watched the chef prepare the dough and here's the thing. Even HE made a mess of it. HA! So there. His dough was not beautiful and he did not care one flip. His point was to follow the principle of pie dough so that it would TASTE great, and he told us what the principles were as he was patching great holes in the tart crust dough. When he finished spackling his dough he said now take a sip of your wine and watch THIS. And he filled the dough with the beautiful apples just filled it slap dab full piled it up and shmushed them a little then he looked at us, threw his hip out and put his hand on it and said NOW. Can you SEEEEEEE the crust? AHAAA! Of course not.

I'll be making this tart again you can bet. It's so soooooo delicious and special.