French Apple Tart

A classic and so delicious in its simplicity. You could also use pâte brisée.

Pate Sucree (sweet tart dough)

11⁄2 cups/7 oz/200g flour
31⁄2 oz/100g butter, unsalted, cut into pieces
1⁄2 t salt
11⁄2 T granulated sugar
1 T water
1 egg
Vanilla bean paste (optional)

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix water, egg, and vanilla paste together with a whisk or fork. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, two knives, or fingers. When the mixture is sandy, with butter pieces about pea size, add liquid ingredients. Turn out onto the work surface, knead lightly until combined, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on a floured surface. Gently ease dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare apples.

Marmelade de pommes (apple filling)

2-3 apples, peeled and chopped
2 T butter
2 T sugar
2 T water
Vanilla and cinnamon to taste

Place all ingredients in a saucepan - stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes to evaporate all the water. The chunks of apple will still be visible. Remove from heat and let cool.

3 large or 4 small apples

Peel apples (use an apple corer if you have one), cut in half. Using a sharp knife, remove the core leaving as much of the apple intact as possible. Place the apple half flat on the cutting surface and slice thin (1⁄8”) half moons of apple, as uniform as possible.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To assemble tart, spread cooled apple filling into unbaked tart shell. Arrange apples slices in a decorative circular pattern. Sprinkle top with 1-2T sugar if desired. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Garnish cooled tart with apricot nappage.