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
Scale
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.
