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French Apple Tart

Classic French Apple Tart

Course Dessert
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Pastry Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. graulated sugar
  • 12 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter (diced)
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Apples & Glaze

  • 4-6 Granny Smith apples (4 Lg. or 6 sm.)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter (diced)
  • 1/2 cup apricot jelly If using apricot jam, warm the jam and sieve it before making the glaze.
  • 2 Tbsp. Calvados If you do not have Calvados, water will work just fine.

Instructions

  1. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined.

  2. Add the diced butter and pulse until the butter is in small bits, about 10-12 pulses.

  3. With the food processor on low speed, slowly pour in the ice water. Run only until the dough starts to come together. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and quickly kneed into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

  5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll slightly larger than 10" x 14" on a floured surface. Using a ruler and a sharp knife, trim the edges.

  6. Place the dough on the sheet pan and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the apples.

  7. Peel and core all of the apples. Slice into 1/4" slices.

  8. Remove the tart dough from the fridge and place the apples overlapping each other diagonally across the dough. Use the smaller slices for the corners, being careful that you don't have any apples hanging off the edges of the dough.

  9. Sprinkle apples with 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Lastly, top with diced butter.

  10. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until pastry is golden brown and the apple edges start to brown.

  11. Rotate the sheet pan half-way though baking and if there are any air pockets in the pastry, use a sharp knife to make a small slit for the air to escape.

  12. The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine. When the tart is done place on cooling rack. Heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados or water until warm, but not boiling. Brush the warm jelly mixture over the tart completely.

  13. Remove tart from the parchment paper and cute into squares. Served warm or at room temperature. to send this dessert over the edge, add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy!