If you are craving a dessert that combines elegant pastry art with cozy, familiar flavors, this Apple Tart with a Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Rose Design Recipe is an absolute show-stopper. Imagine tender, thinly sliced cinnamon-kissed apples arranged like delicate rose petals atop a buttery, flaky crust that melts in your mouth—all finished with a glossy apricot glaze that adds sweetness and shine. This recipe turns a simple apple tart into a centerpiece-worthy creation that’s as delightful to behold as it is to eat, bringing warmth and charm to any occasion.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Each ingredient in this recipe plays a key role in creating the perfect balance of taste, texture, and visual appeal. From the crisp apples to the rich butter in the crust, every component is simple but essential.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the sturdy yet tender base of the tart crust.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the crust lightly without overpowering.
- Kosher salt: Balances flavors and enhances the buttery notes.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flakiness when cold and cubed.
- Large egg: Binds ingredients and contributes to a golden crust.
- Pure vanilla extract: Infuses subtle warmth throughout the dough and apples.
- Large apples: The star of the show; firm varieties work best for slicing and roasting.
- Brown sugar: Adds caramel-like depth to the apple filling.
- Lemon juice: Prevents apples from browning and brightens the flavor.
- Ground cinnamon: Offers classic spiced warmth that complements the apples perfectly.
- Apricot preserves: Melts into a glossy finish that seals in the tart’s fruity goodness.
How to Make Apple Tart with a Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Rose Design Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Crust
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F, ensuring it reaches the right temperature for a perfectly baked crust. The crust begins with combining dry ingredients in a food processor before incorporating cold butter to create a crumbly mixture. Adding the egg and vanilla extract turns it into a dough that’s rolled out and pressed into a tart pan, creating the framework for your apple masterpiece.
Step 2: Blind Bake the Crust
Chilling the crust for at least 30 minutes before blind baking is essential for that crisp yet tender texture. Using parchment and pie weights prevents bubbling and shrinking, baking the crust for 20 minutes to a light golden hue that will support your delicious filling.
Step 3: Prepare the Apple Filling
Thinly slicing your apples—ideally with a mandoline—makes them tender while keeping their shape. Tossing the slices with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla creates the classic, spicy-sweet aroma that will fill your kitchen and your tart. Reserving a few ultra-thin slices allows you to craft the signature rose in the center.
Step 4: Arrange the Apple Rose Design
Here’s the fun and artistic part: arranging the apple slices upright along the crust edge and staggering them to create layered petals. Work your way inward, finishing with the coiled paper-thin slices that become the rosebud centerpiece. This design turns a humble tart into edible art.
Step 5: Bake and Glaze
Bake the tart for 45 to 55 minutes until the apples are tender and the crust golden. The final touch is brushing melted apricot preserves over the apples, adding a beautiful sheen and an extra layer of fruity sweetness that ties the whole recipe together stunningly.
How to Serve Apple Tart with a Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Rose Design Recipe
Garnishes
A light dusting of powdered sugar or a sprinkle of finely chopped toasted nuts can add contrast to the sweet apples and buttery crust. For an extra indulgence, a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream alongside the tart is heavenly.
Side Dishes
This tart shines on its own but pairs wonderfully with a warm cup of spiced tea or a rich coffee. For brunch, serve it alongside soft scrambled eggs or a cheese platter to balance sweetness with savory notes.
Creative Ways to Present
To impress guests, serve warm slices on rustic wooden boards or delicate dessert plates, garnished with fresh mint leaves or cinnamon sticks. You can also create mini versions using tartlet pans for personalized, bite-sized treats with the same gorgeous apple rose design.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Wrap any leftover tart tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will preserve the fresh flavor and delicate texture of the apples and crust.
Freezing
If you want to enjoy this Apple Tart with a Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Rose Design Recipe later, freeze the cooled tart wrapped well in freezer-safe foil or plastic wrap. For best quality, consume within one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat slices gently in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes to revive that flaky crust and warm, tender apples without drying the tart. Avoid microwave reheating as it can make the crust soggy.
FAQs
Can I use different types of apples for this recipe?
Absolutely! Firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji work best because they hold their shape during baking, making the rose design look neat and the tart taste crisp and balanced.
What can I substitute for pie weights when blind baking?
If you don’t have pie weights, dried beans, rice, sugar, or even popcorn kernels all make excellent substitutes to keep your crust from puffing up and to ensure an even bake.
How thin should I slice the apples for the rose design?
The thinner the slices, the easier it is to shape and coil them into a rose. A mandoline slicer is incredibly helpful to achieve consistent, paper-thin slices that won’t break when bending.
Can I make this tart vegan or dairy-free?
Yes! Substitute the butter with a plant-based margarine and use a flax or chia egg instead of a chicken egg. Be sure to check that your preserves don’t contain gelatin if strictly vegan.
What is the best way to prevent the apples from browning?
Tossing the sliced apples immediately in lemon juice not only prevents browning but also adds a zesty brightness that balances the sweetness of the sugar and spices.
Final Thoughts
This Apple Tart with a Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Rose Design Recipe is one of those desserts that feels special every time you make it. It beautifully balances the artistry of presentation with the comfort of classic flavors, making it a perfect recipe to impress loved ones or simply treat yourself. Give it a try—you might just find yourself baking it again and again!
Print
Apple Tart with a Cinnamon-Spiced Apple Rose Design Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings (8 slices)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic Apple Tart recipe features a buttery, tender crust filled with thinly sliced apples tossed in brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, baked to perfection and finished with a glossy apricot glaze. Ideal for dessert or a special occasion, this tart combines simple ingredients to create an elegant and flavorful treat with a beautiful presentation option of a rose-design apple arrangement.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 grams, cold and cut into cubes, 1 stick)
- 1 large egg (50 grams)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (2 grams)
Filling
- 4 large apples (about 600 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar (107 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (14 grams, from ½ lemon)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4 grams)
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves (43 grams, melted)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the tart crust.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt to a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds until combined evenly.
- Add Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Pulse until the texture resembles coarse crumbs, which helps create a flaky crust.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Pulse again until the dough forms larger wet crumbs, indicating it is just about to come together.
- Form Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently shape it into a ball. Roll the dough out evenly to fit the tart pan.
- Prepare Crust: Transfer the rolled dough to your tart pan, pressing it firmly along the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess dough hanging over the edges for a clean finish.
- Chill Crust: Place the crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up before blind baking.
- Blind Bake: Cover the crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, rice, sugar, or popcorn kernels to prevent puffing. Bake for 20 minutes until set.
- Slice Apples: Thinly slice the apples using a mandoline slicer for even thickness, reserving 3-4 slices if planning to create a rose design.
- Combine Filling Ingredients: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to evenly coat the fruit.
- Arrange Apples: Lay apples evenly over the par-baked crust. For a rose design, position slices upright along the edge, staggered in a circle, then coil the reserved paper-thin slices in the middle to form a rose shape.
- Bake Tart: Place the assembled tart back into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes until the apples are tender and the crust is golden.
- Glaze Tart: Remove from the oven and brush the warm apples with melted apricot preserves to add shine and a hint of sweetness before serving.
Notes
- Freezing the crust before blind baking prevents shrinkage and helps maintain a crisp texture.
- Pie weights or alternatives prevent the crust from bubbling up during blind baking.
- The rose design is optional but adds an impressive visual appeal to the tart.
- Use tart or crisp apple varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji for the best texture and flavor.
- Allow the tart to cool before slicing for clean cuts.
