When planning out my menu for Mother's Day I thought about what to make for dessert before anything else. Mainly because in my family, dessert is very important, but also because when it's Mother's Day you can't just pick up something store bought, or make brownies or cookies, no, you need to assemble something very special. Something pretty, something lovely, something delicious, something that took time and effort and says "look how much I love you, Mom!". My mother loves tarts with fruits in them, so I had that aspect narrowed down. Not too long ago I overheard her saying "Oh Ina made the most beautiful apple tart". We talk a lot about Ina, my mother and I. We both like her. I looked up the recipe and it was settled, it looked like a great tart to tackle. It came out marvelously. It may go down as one of my favorite desserts. It is so simple, so delicious, so dainty, so French. Those thinly sliced apples are just so heavenly. I made the pastry myself, but I suppose you could buy that part. I don't have a mandolin, which would probably make slicing the apples far easier. There was one downside to this tart, and that was the sugar that drools off the tart and burns on your baking sheet. I used a silicon pad since many reviews said the tart stuck to parchment. The tart slid right off, but sugar was stuck to my pan. I'm not sure how to avoid that, if anyone knows, please let me know. I adapted the recipe as I felt like adding a pinch of cinnamon and a sprinkle of vanilla sugar that Marx Foods had sent me. I think these additions made it extra delicious. But that's just me. Served with vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream and you've got yourself a very happy crowd. Oh, also, I used only three apples though the recipe called for four. I felt I stacked a good number in (they shrink, so don't leave lots of space between them) but feel free to peel four and snack on one while slicing.
French Apple Tart, adapted, courtesy Barefoot Contessa
Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
Apples
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water (this is optional, I didn't add any of these things)
sprinkle of cinnamon, vanilla sugar (optional)
For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silicon pad. Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges and prick surface with a fork. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan, pinch up the edges and refrigerate while you prepare the apples. Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in thin slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar as well as some cinnamon and vanilla sugar (optional) and dot with the butter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
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