Apple Tart

It is fall, which of course means it is apple pie, tart, crisp season.  Each year Marshall and I have endless discussions about what form the apples should be used in, we love them all and it is always such a tough decision.  Crisps are easy and a great mid-week treat, but pies and tart can be a little trickier.  Marshall loves a thick apple pie with lots of flavor and I understand the love, but sometimes I just want the apple without all the other stuff and that is where the tart comes.  Tarts let the apples shine you get to see and tasty their beauty.  This is my favorite recipe, a simple pate sucree with thinly sliced apples, I sliced my apples a little thicker than normal this time and the apples were a little crunchy, but the end result still tasted yummy.   I like to serve this tart with cinnamon whipped cream, it gives some of the apple pie feeling, without being overwhelming. 

This is a wonderful recipe, it goes together easily and has many uses.  In addition to making a wonderful tart it is also great for cookies

Pate Sucree

1/2 cup Sugar

1 cup Butter

1/2 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

2 1/4 cups Flour

Cream sugar and butter together until smooth.  Stir in vanilla, then add egg, mixing until combined.  Add flour mix until just combined (with all my doughs I always leave some flour visible then mix in by hand).  Turn dough out on to floured surface pat into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Apple Tart

8 Apples peeled, cut into 3/4" cubes

4 Apples peeled

7 Tbs Butter

8 Tbs Sugar

1/2 cup apricot jam

Pre-bake apple cubes.  Tightly pack into a baking dish, dot with about 5 Tbs butter and 4 Tbs sugar.  Bake at 400 until just soft, about 10 minutes. Cool.

With remaining 4 apples, cut in half then slice thinly keeping them attached.  Place apple halves on baking sheet, dot with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  Bake at 400 until just soft, about 10 minutes.  Cool.

Butter tart pan.  Roll out sucree dough about 1/8 of inch to fit tart pan.  Place dough in pan, prick bottom, refrigerate for at 30 minutes.

Spread apples cubes evenly across bottom of shell.  Arrange slices decoratively on top.  Bake at 400 for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. 

Heat apricot jam, then lightly brush over tart.