Hello!! I’ve got another fall recipe for you! This one is super simple, but looks really fancy. This dessert is the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Since apples are in season, what better time to make an apple tart than now? I also encourage you to support local farms and get your apples from there, or go to a farm that offers pick-your-own apples. It makes for a great friends and/or family outing — it is also perfect for those super cute fall-themed photos.
I still remember the first time I went on a field trip to an apple farm in first grade. We rode on a little wooden wagon being pulled by a tractor, and I got to pick out pumpkin for my class since my birthday was the closest (October 15). We learned about the different varieties of apples, and then we each got to pick one, learning to put the “eye to the sky” — meaning that we flip the bottom of the apple to the sky to gently snap the apple off the tree. We were all lined up with our apples, and the farmer had told us to wipe our apples and take a bite.
Weirdly enough, I still remember the first bite I took into that freshly-picked apple. The apple was so crisp and white on the inside in stark contrast to the bright red skin on the outside. and although I don’t remember what type of apple I picked, I’ll always remember how good that apple tasted. I also remember that day as the first time I ate a whole apple by myself. Why do I have all these weird vivid memories of a field trip from first grade? I don’t know, but I do know that’s how I fell in love with apples and that’s probably when I also developed my love for fresh food.
This apple tart is honestly the best dessert to make when you want to impress anyone, so take this to your mother-in-law, your partner, your family, or your friends! I guarentee you that everyone will love it (as long as they’re not allergic to apples or pie dough).
Note: the dough has to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight
You will need 2×8″ fluted tart shells
French Apple Tart
Ingredients
Pie Dough:
500g (4 cups) flour
45g (3 tbsp) icing sugar
9g (1-1/2 tsp) salt
225g (1/2 cup) cold butter
90mL (6 tbsp) Ice cold water
2 egg yolks
Compote:
8 small to medium sized baking apples (I used Gala)
50g (1/4 cup) sugar (you can modify depending on the sweetness of your apples)
Half a cinnamon stick
Apricot glaze (or apricot jam watered down with a few tablespoons of water) for brushing on the tart shell and the top of the tart
Method:
For the pie dough (also known as pâte brisée):
1. Using a food processor or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add flour, salt, icing sugar, and cold butter. Mix on a low speed (stand mixer) or pulse (food processor) until the butter chunks are small pea-sized.
2. Add the ice cold water, egg yolks at once and mix or pulse just until combined. Do not overmix, the dough should be very dry and falling apart.
3. Turn dough over onto a clean countertop, and knead it until it comes together.
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. When the dough has chilled, dust a little flour onto your clean work surface and roll out the pie dough until it is large enough to cover the bottom of your fluted pie shell. Lift the dough carefully, and put it into your pie plate. Do not push the dough in, gently lift the sides to drop the dough into the bottom of the pie plate. Cover in plastic wrap and let it chill for 20 minutes in the fridge to prevent the dough from shrinking.
6. Bake the shell with any pie weights on parchment such as baking beans, or rice at 425F/220C for 10 min until the bottom is slightly golden
7. Remove the baking weights and put the shells back in for another 10 minutes until the shell is golden along the bottom and sides
8. When the pie shell comes out of the oven, brush it with the warm apricot glaze while it is still hot to create a seal between the pie and the compote.
For the apple compote:
1. Peel and cut 4 large apples into inch sized cubes.
2. Put the chunks into a saucepan with a couple tablespoons of water and the cinnamon stick.
3. Cook until the apples are tender, take the cinnamon stick out, and blend it using an immersion blender. Set aside
Assembling the tart:
1. Thinly slice your apples (1/8 of an inch or thinner if you can, the thinner the better)
2. Put the compote into the prebaked shell
3. Place the thin apple slices all around the top of the tart in a concentric circle.
4. Bake at 350F for 30 min
5. When the tart comes out of the oven, gently brush the top with apricot glaze
Check out the video tutorial below!
Enjoy! 🍎🍎🍎
ally bakes 