Name: French Apple Tart
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1.5 cups All-purpose flour; 0.5 cup Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed; 2 tablespoons Granulated sugar; 0.25 teaspoon Salt; 3 tablespoons Ice water; 3 large Apples (Granny Smith or McIntosh for compote); 3 medium Apples (Honeycrisp or Pink Lady for topping); 1 tablespoon Lemon juice; 0.25 cup Apricot preserves

French

French Apple Tart

This elegant French Apple Tart, or Tarte aux Pommes, features a crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a velvety apple compote and topped with beautifully arranged thin apple slices. A shimmering apricot glaze provides the perfect professional finish to this timeless Parisian dessert.

Prep

45m

Cook

45m

Serves

Calories

320kcal

Qty	Ingredient
1.5 cups 190 g	All-purpose flour
0.5 cup 115 g	Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
2 tablespoons 25 g	Granulated sugar
0.25 teaspoon 1.5 g	Salt
3 tablespoons 45 ml	Ice water
3 large 600 g	Apples (Granny Smith or McIntosh for compote)
3 medium 450 g	Apples (Honeycrisp or Pink Lady for topping)
1 tablespoon 15 ml	Lemon juice
0.25 cup 80 g	Apricot preserves

2 Method

Step 1. Prepare the pastry by pulsing flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add chilled butter and pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

Step 2. Make the apple compote by peeling and dicing 3 apples. Cook them in a saucepan with a splash of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar over medium heat until very soft (about 15 minutes). Mash into a thick sauce and let cool.

Step 3. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the edges.

Step 4. Spread the cooled apple compote evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.

Step 5. Peel, core, and thinly slice the remaining apples. Arrange them in tight, overlapping concentric circles over the compote, starting from the outside and working toward the center.

Step 6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the apple edges are slightly caramelized.

Step 7. Heat the apricot preserves with a teaspoon of water and strain through a sieve. Brush the warm glaze over the tart as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Step 8. Let the tart cool completely before removing from the pan and serving.

·
Use a mandoline to get perfectly even, thin apple slices for the professional fanned look.
·
Ensure your butter is ice-cold to achieve a flaky, crisp shortcrust texture.
·
If the apple edges brown too quickly, loosely tent the tart with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.
·
Always strain the apricot glaze to ensure a smooth, crystal-clear finish on the fruit.

? FAQ

What are the best apples for a French Apple Tart?

For the base compote, use softer apples like McIntosh. For the decorative top, use firm apples that hold their shape like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes, the pastry dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month.

Do I need to blind bake the crust?

In this specific recipe, blind baking is not strictly necessary because the tart is baked at a high temperature, but you can partially blind bake for 10 minutes if you prefer an extra-crisp bottom.

How do I store leftovers?

The tart is best served the day it is made, but it can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerated for up to 3 days.