Our oldest child, Wes, can finally see the light at the end of the “college tunnel.” He just completed his fourth semester of French. He had to take in a French dish on the last day of class and asked me to make an old family favorite, Ina Garten’s French Apple Tart.
I decided to make two, one for him and one to keep at home. This dessert is quite impressive and requires very little effort. It looks like something you might see in a French pastry shop. The tender, flaky crust comes together in a food processor in no time and is the key to this fabulous dessert. The sliced apples are arranged beautifully over the crust. Then the entire tart is brushed with a glaze. This tart is a great weeknight dessert for the family but it’s also special enough to serve to guests.
- For the pastry:
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 12 tbsp. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- ½ c. ice water
- For the apples:
- 4 Granny Smith apples
- ½ c. sugar
- 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
- ½ c. apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
- 2 tbsp. Calvados, rum, or water
- For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and plus just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough, slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, true the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
- Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼-inch thick slices Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (To make the arrangement beautiful, don't use the apple ends.) Sprinkle with the full ½ cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it don't stick to the paper. (I remove the tart from the baking pan to another pan while it's still hot to prevent sticking.) Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
