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Rustic French Apple Tart

Course Desserts, Pies & Crisps, Tarts
Cuisine French
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 31 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tbs) unsalted butter very cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup water very cold

For the Filling

  • 1 3/4 lbs baking apples (3 large)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter melted
  • 1/8 tsp salt

For Assembling & Baking

  • 1 tbs all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tbs turbinado sugar
  • 1 tbs apricot jelly or jam, optional for glaze

Instructions

  • Make the crust: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold butter and process just until the butter is the size of peas, about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and process just until moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Pat the dough into a disk. Flour your work surface again and dust the dough with flour, as well. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle 8 to 10 inches in diameter, turning and adding more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling (you’ll roll the dough out further on the parchment paper so go ahead and clean your work surface).
  • Make the Filling: Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices (you should have about 4 cups) and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt; toss to combine.
  • Take the dough from the fridge and slide the parchment paper onto the countertop. Roll the dough, directly on the parchment paper, into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. It’s fine if the edges are a little ragged. Place the parchment and dough back on the baking sheet – the pastry should curve up the sides of the pan.
  • Assemble the tart: Sprinkle the flour evenly over the pastry. Arrange the apple slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 3 inches of the edge. Don’t worry about making it look perfect! It doesn’t make much difference in the end and you don’t want the dough to get too warm. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion, working your way around and creating pleats as you go. Patch up any tears by pinching a bit of dough from the edge.
  • Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle half of the turbinado sugar over the top crust and half over the fruit. Chill the assembled tart in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the center position.
  • Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden and cooked through. (It’s okay if some of the juices leak from the tart onto the pan. The juices will burn on the pan but the tart should be fine -- just scrape any burnt bits away from the tart once it’s baked.) Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool.
  • While the tart cools, make the optional glaze. In a small bowl, mix the apricot jam with 1-1/2 teaspoons water. Heat in the microwave until bubbling, about 20 seconds. Using a pastry brush, brush the apples with the apricot syrup.
  • Use two large spatulas to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. The tart is best served on the day it is made, but leftovers will keep, loosely covered on the countertop, for a few days.
  • Make Ahead: The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling, or until pliable. The assembled tart may be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the tart is frozen, then wrap tightly. Bake directly from the freezer.

Notes

When we think of French desserts, we usually imagine fancy pâtisseries with pyramids of pastel-colored macarons and glossy fruit tarts. But when the French bake at home, they keep it simple.
A free-form apple tart is something the French might throw together au pif. Like an apple pie without the pan, it consists of a thin layer of sliced apples baked on top of a buttery, flaky crust. I know the mere mention of a homemade pastry crust and rolling pin is enough to send some people running for the hills but, rest assured, this tart relies on a dough that’s virtually foolproof and easy to roll to out — and it comes together in a food processor in under a minute. And the beauty of a free-form tart is that you don’t have to fuss over crimping the dough into a pie plate: you simply fold it casually over the fruit. The charm of this dessert lies in its imperfections.