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French Apple Tart
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5 from 5 votes

French Apple Tart

A delicious and beautiful French Apple Tart from America's Test Kitchen. The crust and the filling are easier to make than you might think and each bite is a mouth full of sweet and tart apples. If making a beautiful and delicious apple tart is your goal try this recipe.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 389kcal
Author: Cheryl Norris

Ingredients

CRUST

  • 1 1/3 cups (189 grams) eall-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons (63 grams) sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter melted

FILLING

  • 5 Golden Delicious apples 8 ounces each, peeled and cored
  • 5 Granny Smith apples 8 ounces each, peeled and cored
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 cup (152 grams) apricot preserves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

INGREDIENT PREP

  • Place 1 tablespoon of water in a small prep bowl. Cut the butter into 2 pieces, 1 tablespoon and 2 tablespoons. Place the apricot preserves into a microwave safe bowl. Place a large platter near the stove for the cooked apples.

FOR THE CRUST

  • Adjust 1 oven rack to the middle position in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk flour, sugar, cardamom, and salt together in a bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until a dough forms. Using your hands, press two-thirds of dough into the bottom of 9- inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press remaining dough into fluted sides of the pan. Press and smooth dough with your hands to even thickness.
  • Place pan on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the middle rack, until crust is deep golden brown and firm to touch, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Set aside until ready to fill.

FOR THE FILLING:

  • Cut 5 Golden Delicious apples lengthwise into quarters and cut each quarter lengthwise into 4 slices. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add apple slices and water and toss to combine.
  • Cover the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples begin to turn translucent and are slightly pliable, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer apples to a large plate spread into a single layer and set aside to cool. Do not clean skillet.
  • While the apples cook, microwave apricot preserves until fluid, about 30 seconds. Strain the preserves through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl and reserve the solids. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the strained preserves in a microwave safe bowl for brushing the tart later.
  • Cut remaining 5 Granny Smith apples into 1/2- inch-thick wedges. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add remaining apricot preserves, reserved apricot solids, apple wedges, and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Mash apples to puree with potato masher. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until puree is reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer apple puree to baked tart shell and smooth surface. Select 5 thinnest slices of sautéed apple and set aside. Starting at outer edge of tart, arrange remaining slices, tightly overlapping, in concentric circles. Bend reserved slices to fit in center. Bake tart, still on wire rack in sheet, on lowest rack, for 30 minutes. Remove tart from oven and heat broiler.
  • While broiler heats, warm reserved preserves in the microwave until fluid, about 20 seconds. Brush evenly over the surface of apples, avoiding tart crust. Broil tart, checking every 30 seconds and turning as necessary, until apples are attractively caramelized, 1 to 3 minutes. Let the tart cool for at least 11/2 hours
  • Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan, slide a thin metal spatula between tart and pan bottom, and carefully slide tart onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

TO MAKE AHEAD: The baked crust, apple slices, and apple puree can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Apple slices and apple puree should be refrigerated separately in airtight containers.
Assemble tart with refrigerated apple slices and puree and bake as directed, adding 5 minutes to baking time.
If using different apples make sure they are baking apples.  Some apples are just made for eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 691IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg