Easy French Apple Tart

I am alive! No, I don't mean I'm just alive because this is the first post in like a month. I mean I'm alive because it's finally Fall. This is the season I live for. The crisp cool air, the leaves on the ground, college football on my screen, and of course, the flavors of Fall. Cinnamon, apple, pumpkin...you really can't go wrong. For the first recipe of the Fall, I thought I'd share a staple. For me, this is my go-to for an easy, yet elegant dessert. The combination of ease and flavor definitely makes this recipe a winner. The flaky tart with the perfectly cooked warm apples covered in cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Don't be intimidated just because it has the name French in the title. Trust me, it's very easy to make. 

HOW TO MAKE MY EASY FRENCH APPLE TART:

• To start, this will not make a full sheet tray worth of tart. If you want that, double the tart dough and apple topping recipe. First, you want to line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Grease with cooking spray.
• Make the tart dough out of the pate brisee recipe.
•  Double the recipe if you want a full shet tray of tart dough. Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least two hours.

• Once out of the fridge roll out the dough onto the sheet tray. Lightly flour the rolling pin and the top of the dough. Use your fingers and the rolling pin to roll out into a square. Wrap the sheet tray and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.

• While the dough is resting in the fridge, combine the ingredients for the topping and set aside.

• At this point, you can start thinly slicing the apples into fans. I used a mix of Gala and Granny Smith apples. You can use any good baking apple. After you finish each apple, you can put the slices in either a lemon water solution or apple juice. Set aside.

• Preheat the oven. Take the dough out of the fridge and dock (poke holes) with a fork all over the top of the dough.

• Shingle the apples over the top. Work pretty quickly so the apples don't brown. Try to get similar sizes across the top.  Sprinkle the topping evenly on top of the apple slices. Dot with butter pieces.

• Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough and apples are browned. Rotate halfway through while baking. The outer edge may burn, that's normal.  While the tart is baking, prepare the apricot topping. Warm the apricot preserve in the microwave for about 45 seconds, mix in the cinnamon and water. Out of the oven, this is what the tart looks like.

• You can cut off any edges that burned. Immediately brush on the warmed apricot preserves on top of the apples. Serve warm with powdered sugar, whipped cream or ice cream.

MORE GREAT APPLE RECIPES:

• Apple Crumble Tart
• Apple Caramel Cheesecake
• Apple Crumb Muffins

SHOP MY BAKING ESSENTIALS:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/fayesfood

Easy French Apple Tart

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 44 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Desserts

Cuisine French

Ingredients

  

• 1 x recipe pie/pate brisee dough for tart dough
• 7-8 medium to large-sized baking apples I used Gala and Granny Smith, but any good baking apple will do

Apple Topping:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into little pieces

Apricot Topping:

• ¼ cup apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 cups of apple juice or 3 cups of water with 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Prep your baking tray with parchment paper and grease it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
• Cut the butter into pieces and set aside.
• Make the pie dough (pate brisee) and let it rest in the fridge for two hours.
• After two hours, begin to roll out the dough into the sheet tray. Use a small rolling pin and your hands to roll out as thinly and evenly as possible. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• While the dough is in the fridge, combine the topping ingredients and mix until combined. Be sure to break up the lumps. Set aside.
• Prep the apples by peeling the apple, cut around the core, cutting into thin slices so you get a "fan" or "shingle" shape. After you cut an apple, place the pieces into the bowl of water/lemon solution or apple juice. Continue to cut the apples and set aside.
• Take the dough out of the fridge. Begin to dock the dough with a fork by poking holes all over the top of the dough.
• Drain the apples from the juice or water and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Shingle the apples tightly across the top of the dough. The ends will be very small, you don't have to use them. Also depending on the variety, the shape will be different for the apples. That's not a problem.
• Sprinkle the sugar topping over the top of the apples evenly.
• Dot the top with the butter pieces.
• Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the apples and dough are golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.The edge may burn, but that's not a big deal. You can also double the dough, topping and apple recipe to make a full sheet tray worth of apple tart. That may prevent the edge from burning. Either way, you can cut off any burnt edges.
• When the tart is almost done, prepare the apricot topping by warming up the apricot for about 45 seconds in the microwave and mix in the cinnamon and water.
• Take the tart out of the oven and immediately brush on the warm apricot topping over the top.
• Serve warm plain, with powdered sugar, ice cream or whipped cream!

Video

Notes

You can use any good baking apples If you don't have apricot, you can use any preserves as long as it's not very overpowering. Double the dough, topping and apple recipe for a full sheet of apple tart. Serve warm! Rotate the pan half way through while baking. If it puffs up too much in one spot, use a paring knife to let the steam out.