The Perfect Rustic & Elegant French Apple Tart
A classic, rustic French apple tart featuring a homemade, buttery pastry crust. The from-scratch dough is made easily in a food processor and rolled into a large rectangle. It’s then decoratively topped with overlapping, thin slices of Granny Smith apples, sprinkled with sugar, and dotted with butter. The tart is baked until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender, then finished with a beautiful, shiny glaze made from warm apricot jelly and a splash of Calvados, rum, or water.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/2 cup ice water
- For the Apples and Glaze:
- 4 Granny Smith apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
- 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water
Instructions
- Make the Pastry: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and sugar to combine. Add the cold, diced butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
- With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board, knead quickly into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough slightly larger than 10 by 14 inches. Trim the edges to make a neat rectangle. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
- Assemble the Tart: Peel, core, and halve the apples. Slice each half crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Arrange the apple slices in overlapping, diagonal rows to cover the surface of the chilled pastry.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar and dot the top with the small diced butter.
- Bake and Glaze: Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pan once, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown.
- When the tart is done, gently heat the apricot jelly with the Calvados (or rum/water). Brush this glaze completely over the apples and pastry.
- Let the tart cool on the pan before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- This recipe uses a food processor to make the pastry dough quickly and easily.
- Chilling the dough is a crucial step for a flaky crust.
- The recipe notes that the apple juices may burn on the pan during baking, but the tart itself will be fine.
- If the pastry puffs up in one area during baking, you can cut a small slit with a knife to release the air.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/french-apple-tart-2/