Thanksgiving 2008, Ed’s parents came to visit me so I made them a big lunch.  For dessert, I made them a French Apple Tart and they couldn’t stop complimenting me on my dessert.  At that time, my desserts RARELY received compliments, haha, so I knew this recipe was a keeper.  I like it because it’s light, not too sweet, and beautiful.  It’s very easy to make, but there are several steps with waiting times so it’s not a quick recipe.

Sweet Pastry Crust (Pâte Sucrée) Recipe

makes one 8 or 9 inch tart; from JoyofBAKING.com

1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter softened

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Sift flour and salt together and set aside.

Place the butter in your mixer and beat until softened.  Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated.  Don’t overmix or butter will separate and lighten in color.  Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball.  Don’t overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.

Flatten dough into disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the sweet pastry to the desired size.  To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness).    Roll to a round about 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick size that fits a 8 or 9-inch (20 – 23 cm) tart pan.  To make sure it is the right size, take your tart pan, flip it over, and place it on the rolled out pastry.  The pastry should be about an inch larger than pan.

When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll.  Unroll onto top of tart pan.  Never pull the pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is caused by too much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the pan).  Gently lay in pan and with a small floured piece of pastry, lightly press pastry into bottom and up sides of pan.  Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess pastry.  With a thumb up movement, again press dough into pan.  Roll rolling pin over top again to get rid of any extra pastry.  Prick bottom of dough (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes).  Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Line unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Fill tart pan with pie weights or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface.  Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly golden brown.  Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling.

French Apple Tart Recipe

makes one 8 or 9 inch tart; from JoyofBAKING.com

6 medium-sized apples (2 pounds) (900 grams) (Granny Smith or other firm textured apple)

3 tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter, divided

1/4 – 1/2 cup (50 – 100 grams) granulated white sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

Confectioners’ Sugar for browning the top of the tart.

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon Cognac, Calvados, Rum or Water

Spread a thin layer of warm apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the cooked crust to seal the crust and prevent it from getting soggy.  Let the glaze dry between 20 – 30 minutes.

For bottom layer of apples: Peel, core, and slice three of the apples.  In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) unsalted butter and stir in between 2 – 4 tablespoons (25 – 50 grams) of the sugar, the lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.  Add the apples and sauté over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft.  Gently mash the apples with the back of a spatula or spoon and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and let cool.

For top layer of apples:  Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick.  Melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the other 2 – 4 tablespoons (25 – 50 grams) sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.  Add the apples and sauté until they begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes.  Set the cooked apples aside.

Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled and glazed pre-baked tart shell.  Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce, and brush with 1 – 2 tablespoons (13-26 grams) melted butter.  Bake the tart on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the tart with confectioners’ sugar, cover the edges of tart with foil, and broil it under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat until the edges of the apples are golden brown and crisp.  Once the tart has cooled lightly glaze the apple slices with warm apricot glaze.

Apricot Glaze: In a small saucepan heat the apricot preserves until boiling.  Remove from heat and strain to get rid of lumps.  Add the Cognac or water.  Use this glaze to seal the baked tart shell and to brush the top of the finished tart.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  If you have leftover whipped cream, you can freeze it (see here for instructions)!