Ina Garten’s French Apple Tart
Ina Garten, aka “The Barefoot Contessa” consistently writes cookbooks that contain delicious recipes that are also fail proof and easy to prepare. This French apple tart is no exception. It’s always a crowd pleaser with its buttery, flaky crust and thinly sliced apples smeared with a glaze of jelly. The recipe calls for apricot jelly, but my new favorite to brush on fruit tarts is quince jelly, since its pale color doesn’t obscure the fruit that’s below. Besides, I love the tart/sweet flavor of quince jelly.
After mixing the pastry, roll it out and cut it to the size of your cookie sheet.
Place the pastry into a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or a Silpat), carefully arrange the apple slices and dot with butter (stop counting calories and just enjoy this one, alright?)
When it comes out of the oven, brush some warmed quince jelly on top (or some other light colored jelly – I like orange marmalade here too.) Cut into squares and serve. A scoop of ice cream on top would not be unwelcome. Warning – This tart is highly addictive. Ciao Chow Linda shall not be held responsible if you eat the whole thing.
If you haven’t got company coming, and you’re not so good at portion control, (I wonder who that could be?) freeze most of the dough and make a couple of single serving size tarts instead, assuming you’ve got little tart pans. But even if you haven’t, you can even make them freeform. Follow the same directions, and use the same temperature. This way you might still be able to squeeze into your jeans.
Ina Garten’s French Apple Tart
printable recipe here
Ingredients
For the 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
For the 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
Directions
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.
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.
Roll
the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a
small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan
and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a
small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan
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 1/4-inch
thick 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. (I tend not
to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.)
Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
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 1/4-inch
thick 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. (I tend not
to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.)
Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar 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. If the
pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the
air out. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart
will be fine! 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.
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. If the
pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the
air out. Don’t worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart
will be fine! 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.
This Post Has 15 Comments
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Splendid and surely divine!
Cheers,
Rosa
I think Ina is a National Treasure. I have learned so much from her. Your tart is gorgeous and certainly company worthy.
I'd like a slice please-looks beautiful!
Oh my, who could resist this? Not me! It looks beautiful with the apple slices perfectly lined up and it must taste so good. This would definitely be a crowd pleaser in my family!
I've made this several times but never with the quince jelly. Am going to do that. Love the idea of the small tart – I have no willpower these days. What a beauty!
Ooh. Love the little tart. So cute. My mom used to make quince jelly. I tried it once many years ago and it was a disaster so I gave up. I should probably give it another shot. I did end up with some fig jelly ~ I made fiche sciroppati and when I refrigerated the leftover liquid it turned into the nicest jelly, pale pink in color. I'll bet it would be great on this tart. xo
You know this has my name all over it. Gorgeous tart!!!!
Yes, please! You had me at Calvados! In all seriousness, this tart is a wonderful example of the simple elegance of the French pastry tradition. I like the ratio of butter to flour in the dough – enough to lend a real buttery, rich taste, but not so much that the dough gets greasy. Something that has always struck me is how the application of a glaze lifts a fruit tart to the level of the visually sublime. What a difference a glaze makes! The mini-tart is such a wonderful idea. As impressive as a big tart can be, there is something that really sends me about smaller, individual smaller serving desserts. Congratulations on a truly special tart. Beautiful work!
This sure does look addictive. The way those apple slices glisten… !
una torta deliziosa, anche le foto sono splendide !
I could definitely eat that whole thing and I am talking about the big tart. Looks beautiful too!
cki 80I do like Ina Garten's recipes! They are very unfussy, yet everything tastes superb. This tart looks beautiful!
So lovely and easy, Linda! I could eat the whole thing after the long day I've had! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I actually have some homemade peach jam from a friend's mom in Abruzzo that would pair beautifully.
I've never met one of Ina's recipes I didn't like. It may be simple but the flavors in this tart are wonderful and presentation beautiful. I would keep slicing bits of this until there was nothing left.
Regardless of how many servings this lovely tart provides, it would never be enough!
I've been wanting to make this tart for quite a while. The quince jelly, however, is an idea I hope to never forget.