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    Categories: Recipes

How to Make This Simple and Yummy French Apple Tart


My dear friend is going to Paris in March and it got me thinking about all of my trips to Paris. I’ve been there 4 times and each trip has been unique and special. There are certain places in the world I think I could travel to every year. London, Paris, and New York come to mind. Every time I’ve visited each of these cities, I wanted to stay longer or head back soon after I got home. There is something so special about a place that feels new every time you visit. Because I had Paris in mind, I decided to bake something that would remind me of Paris, and that’s how this French apple tart came to be.

What is a Tart?


A tart is a pastry that has filling over the top of pastry. There is no cover or pastry over the top of it (which would be a pie). Tarts can be fruit-based or savory. The word tarte is French and it is translated into pie or tart. The main difference is that pies are usually covered and tarts are always left open on top. Tarts have been around since the 1500s. They started out as savory, with meat fillings, but then moved into sweet fillings with fruit and custard. 

Recipe Based on Ina Garten French Apple Tart


If you’re looking for a super easy recipe that you can make any time, this is the one. It’s super easy to make and you could even use puff pastry or store-bought pie crust to make this. I used a new pie crust recipe, which was quite easy. However, this is usually my go-to recipe that I definitely love best. 

The recipe I used is based on the Ina Garten French apple tart recipe. I changed a few things so it’s not exactly the same as hers, but it definitely was the base for this recipe. It’s quite a popular recipe, and I understand why. It is really easy to make and tastes delicious. The thing I also like about this recipe is how easy it is to adapt. If you don’t have apricot jelly, as her recipe called for, you can try something else. I used apple jelly. If you don’t have apples, you can use pears. 

If you’re looking for other apple recipes, click here.

French Apple Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
3 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 cup apple jelly
2 tablespoons  water

Directions:

To make the pastry crust, add flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter forms pea-sized pieces. Pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough comes together. Remove the dough, knead into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough to roughly 10 by 14-inches. Trim the edges to create a rectangle. Refrigerate the dough again until you’re ready to build the French apple tart.

Peel and slice the apples into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the apple slices closely together on the tart in any pattern you like. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown.  Once the tart is out of the oven, heat the jelly with water and brush all over the tart. Cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Stacey Freeman: I am a Style Maven, Mommy, Educator, and Traveler.