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Simple Apple Tart: An Elegant Winter Dessert
Epic snow is an excellent occasion for making a tart. And yesterday in NYC, we certainly had that. But with its simple, elegant flavors, this is an amazing, understated dessert (or breakfast!) any day.
Sometimes the simplest foods can be the most delicious. This apple tart has a short list of ingredients designed to bring out the robust, tart flavors of the granny smith apples. Besides being absolutely beautiful, this simple apple tart is flaky, light and delicious.
A note on the recipe–I am a big fan of homemade crusts, but I understand that making your own can be daunting and laborious. If you like, go ahead and use pre-made puff pastry crust.
Simple Apple Tart (adapted from the Smitten Kitchen by way of Alice Waters)
for the crust
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
for the tart filling
3 granny smith apples
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
good pinch salt
for the glaze
apple cores and peels
1/2 cup sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup water
In the bowl of your food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Drop in the butter and pulse several times until the dough has a sandy texture. Drizzle in the water and pulse just until combined. You can also mix the flour by hand, and cut in the butter with a pastry knife, and then mix in the water just until combined.
Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured board gather into a round disc. Wrap the round in plastic and refrigerate for a half-hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an 11” round, and then press it into a well-buttered tart pan. Fold any excess dough into the sides of the tart.
Wash and peel, and core the apples, reserving the peels and cores. Slice the apples into 1/8” thick slices. Starting on the outer edge, arrange the apple slices in a tight circle, working your way toward the middle. Brush the apples with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle the apples with the salt, and then 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Place the tart on a rimmed baking sheet and then into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, until the dough is golden and the edges of the apples have browned. Rotate the tart pan halfway through. Let tart cool for 15 minutes.
While the tart is baking, combine the apple peels and cores, orange zest, sugar, juice and water in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add extra water if needed. Strain the glaze, cool, and brush on the tart just before serving. My glaze was a bit runny, so I reduced it over high heat for a few minutes after straining.
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5 Comments
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simple apple tart | brooklyn supper commented on Jan 31 11 at 8:17 am[...] with your favorite pre-baked tart shell. Try a traditional tart shell here, go for graham–recipe here, or pick one up at your local [...]
Skinny No-Bake Cheesecake Tart: Deliciously Guilt Free! | Family Kitchen commented on Aug 10 11 at 1:00 pmBecky commented on Jan 29 11 at 7:53 pmHow special! A real work of art.
Elizabeth commented on Jan 30 11 at 9:19 pmHi Becky, Thanks! So glad you like it.
MaryClare commented on Jan 11 12 at 10:13 pmMaking home-made pie crust is relatively simple once you have done it a few times. After that, it’s a no-brainer and does not take long. I can make pie dough in a matter of minutes using a food processor or in a bowl using two knives and a fork. For a single crust, use 1 1/2 cups unbleached white spelt flour (so much better and lighter than wheat flour), 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold (not room temp) unsalted butter, few TBS of ice water (may not use all of it). Place flour, salt, and butter in food processor. Pulse until butter is the size of small peas or blended into flour. Using the pour spout on processor, dribble the ice water into the flour mixture until the dough begins to form up. If you add too much water, no problem. Turn out onto a floured board and add flour, if necessary, until dough does not stick. It should have the consistency of play dough. Form into ball being careful not to over-knead it as it will become tough. Wrap up w/plastic wrap and let sit in frig for 1 hour or longer. To speed it up, you can put in freezer for 1/2 hour. When dough is pliable, turn out onto floured board and roll w/rolling pin until as thin as possible w/o breaking. Using the back of a large chef’s knife, which can be floured to avoid sticking, place under the edge of the pie crust and roll gingerly until the pie dough lifts up off of board. Have pie plate ready and carefully lift pie crust onto pie plate and press into pan. Cut off any excess dough that falls away from the edge of the pie tin. Crimp edges and use either a pie crust protector that fits over the rim of the pan to avoid burning edges or use strips of aluminum foil to cover edges.
The other alternative if you don’t have or don’t want to use a food processor is to use the same ingredients above, only have your butter ice cold from freezer. Have flour mixture in bowl and using a large box grater, take ice cold butter using the butter wrapper so as not to use fingers which will warm up butter. Take grated butter and place into flour mixture and using fork, mix until butter is mostly incorporated. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you don’t want large clumps of butter. Take ice water and dribble over mixture and mix in w/fork until it forms up. Using hands, mix in remaining flour that is not part of the ball. Follow above directions in putting into pie plate.
To make a double crust, add 1/2 cup extra flour and 3 TBS of unsalted butter.
This is as easy as pie once you get the basics down. :o)
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