Applesauce Apple Tart

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Applesauce Apple Tart
Thinly sliced apples sit on top of a thick and chunky homemade applesauce. This is a perfect dessert any time of year, but it is especially delicious when the fall apples arrive. Serve this tart warm or cold plain, or with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Recipe type: Dessert | Fruit Tart
Serves: 8 to 10 servings
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: 10 inch round tart pan with removable bottom Pastry: Sweet Tart Pastry Prep: Partially Baked Oven Temp: 375° Storage: Covered, Cool Place or Refrigerate
Ingredients
Sweet Tart Pastry:
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  • ¾ cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼ inch pieces
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons whipping (heavy) cream or half-and-half cream
Applesauce Filling:
  • 5 large granny smith apples (about 2 pounds)
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
Apple Topping:
  • 2 large granny smith apples
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Apricot Glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Sweet Tart Pastry:
  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons cream. Drizzle the egg mixture around the sides of the bowl into the flour mixture, and use a kitchen fork to mix the flour and egg mixture together until the dough starts forming clumps. Tip: If the dough seems too dry and is not forming into clumps, add another tablespoon of cream.
  3. Gather the dough together and form dough into a ball, then flatten the ball into a 6-inch disc. wrap the disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to chill the dough, or refrigerate up to 3 days before using.
  4. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the chilled pastry to a 12-inch circle and fit into one 10-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.) Tip: dough can also be rolled between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper.
  5. Press pastry gently against the sides of the tart pan. Trim excess pastry to ½ inch. Fold the overhang back over the inside of the sides of the pan, creating a double thickness to reinforce the sides of the tart crust, allowing pastry to extend ⅛ to ¼ inch above the top of the pan to allow for shrinkage. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze tart shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  6. While tart shell is freezing, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, allowing 15 to 20 minutes for the oven to preheat before baking.
  7. Remove chilled tart shell from freezer. line the chilled pie shell with foil or parchment paper, leaving a two-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans or rice to keep the crust from puffing up and shrinking.
  8. Bake: Bake 20 minutes or until the pastry is dry and the edges have just begun to color. Remove from oven and carefully remove the foil and pie weights by gathering the edges of the foil and pulling out. Set the pan on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before adding the filling.
Applesauce Filling:
  1. Peel, core, and cut apples into ¼ inch sized pieces. Place apple pieces into a medium-sized heavy bottomed pot with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, and water. Cook apple mixture over medium-low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are very soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and scrape apple mixture into a bowl.
  2. Use a potato masher or back of a spoon to mash the warm apples until only a few apple chunks remain. It should look like a thick and chunky applesauce. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Apple Topping:
  1. Peel the apples, cut in half, and remove the core. Thinly slice each apple half into slices, about ⅛ inch thick.
  2. Spread the applesauce filling in the tart shell, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon or small offset spatula.
  3. Arrange the apple slices on top of the applesauce filling in 2 circular rows, slightly overlapping the slices to cover the filling.
  4. Brush the melted butter over the top of the apples with a pastry brush. Tip: you can also drizzle the butter over the top in place of using a pastry brush.
  5. Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the apples.
  6. Bake: Bake the tart until the apple slices are soft when pierced with the top of a knife and the pastry edges are golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven. Place on a wire cooling rack and let cool about 10 minutes before glazing.
Apricot Glaze:
  1. Heat apricot jam and water in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or until the jam turns to liquid. Stir well.
  2. Use a pastry brush to brush the warm apricot glaze over the apple slices and top edge of the pastry crust.
  3. When tart if completely cooled, unmold the tart from the pan and serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold. Refrigerate leftovers.

Adapted From: Williams Sonoma, Essentials of Baking, Welden Owen Inc, California, 2003; Food Network

 

French Apple Tart

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French Apple Tart
This is a traditional French pastry known as tarte aux pommes, with a sweet tart pastry, almond filling and apricot glaze. Be sure to take the time to overlap and arrange the apple slices evenly to make a nice presentation.
Recipe type: Dessert | Custard Tart | Fruit Tart
Serves: 8 to 10
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 11½x7½x1" Oblong Tart with Removeable Bottom, or, One 10" Round Tart Pastry: Sweet Tart Pastry Prep: Baked Starting Oven Temp: 375° Storage: Covered, Cool Place or Refrigerate
Ingredients
Sweet Tart Pastry:
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼ inch pieces
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons half-and-half cream or whipping (heavy) cream
Almond Filling:
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 3½ ounces almonds (about ¾ cup,) finely ground
  • 2 large eggs
Apple Filling:
  • 3 large Granny Smith apples
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
Glaze:
  • ¼ cup apricot jam
Instructions
Sweet Tart Pastry:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons cream. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the dough comes together and can be formed into a ball. Tip: If the dough seems too dry and is not forming into a ball, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream.
  3. Form dough into a ball and flatten the ball into a 6 inch disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or refrigerate up to 3 days before using
  4. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the chilled pastry to a 13x10 inch rectangle and fit into one 11½x7½x1 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (Or, roll into a 12 inch circle and use one 10 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.) Press pastry gently against the sides of the tart pan. Trim excess pastry to ½ inch. Fold the edge of the pastry under and press gently around the rim to seal the edge, allowing pastry to extend ⅛ to ¼ inch above the top of the pan to allow for shrinkage. Leave the border plain for a rustic look or crimp as desired. Lightly prick the bottom and sides with a fork at three-fourth or one inch intervals. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate tart shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  5. While tart shell is refrigerating, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, allowing 15 to 20 minutes for the oven to preheat before baking.
  6. Bake: Remove chilled tart shell from refrigerator. Leaving the tart shell on the baking sheet, bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges of the crust turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
  7. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Almond Filling:
  1. In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add the ground almonds and beat until combined. Add the eggs and beat until thoroughly combined. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Set aside.
Apple Filling:
  1. Peel apples, cut in half, remove core, and slice thinly about ⅛ inch thick. Place cut apples in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice, stir with a rubber spatula to coat all the apple pieces with lemon juice to keep apples from turning brown. Set aside.
  2. Assembly: Spoon the Almond Filling into the baked tart shell, smooth evenly with a small offset spatula.
  3. Arrange the apple slices over the top of the almond filling, overlapping the apples until the entire surface is covered. Tip: if using a round tart pan arrange the apples slices in a spiral pattern.
  4. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the apples with the melted butter, and then sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the top.
  5. Bake: Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until filling begins to brown and apples are tender when pierced. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Tip: During baking, if crust edges are getting too brown, loosely place a piece of foil over the edges to prevent the crust from over-browning.
Glaze:
  1. Just before tart is finished baking, heat the apricot jam a small saucepan on the stovetop or microwave, stir and heat the jam over low heat until it liquefies. Remove from heat. Use a pastry brush and brush the warm jam over the top of the still hot tart.
  2. Let tart cool at least 1 hour before cutting and serving to allow the juices to slightly thicken. Serve apple tart either warm or cold. Refrigerate leftovers.
Adapted From: Paul, Michael, Sweet Paris, Hardie Grant Books, 2012

 

Lattice-Topped Apple Tart

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Lattice-Topped Apple Tart
What could be easier than apple pie? Apple tart!! This tart is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and a combination of Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples for a great taste and texture combination. Instead of actually weaving the lattice top, create a mock-lattice by simply laying some of the strips on the filling, then placing the remaining strips on top at a 45 degree angle. This tart is perfect served ala-mode with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

Note: This recipe uses a 10-inch tart pan and the 9-inch double crust Flaky Pie Pastry recipe, which is sufficient for the bottom crust and lattice top.
Recipe type: Dessert | Fruit Tart
Serves: 8 to 10
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 10" Tart with Removable Bottom Pastry: Flaky Pie Pastry Pastry Prep: Unbaked Oven Temp: 375° Storage: Covered, Cool Place or Refrigerate

Help: Flaky Pie Pastry
Ingredients
Pastry:
Apple Filling:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 pounds tart apples (Use 1½ pounds Golden Delicious and 1½ pounds Granny Smith Apples)
Topping:
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons milk, half and half, or cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Pastry:
  1. Prepare Flaky Pie Pastry for one 9-inch double-crust pie and refrigerate as described through Step 5 of Flaky Pie Pastry recipe.
  2. Remove one dough disc from refrigerator. If the dough is too cold and difficult to roll, let stand at room temperature for 5 to 15 minutes. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough from the center out into a circle about 8 or 9 inches in diameter. Gently pick the dough up, lightly re-flour the work surface if necessary to prevent sticking, and replace the dough giving it a quarter turn. Continue lifting, turning, and rolling the dough until it is a 12 to 13-inch diameter circle and about ⅛ inches thick, doing your best to keep the dough shaped as circular as possible.
  3. Transfer the rolled dough to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press pastry gently against the sides of the tart pan. Trim excess pastry with a sharp kitchen knife to ½ inch. Place tart pan on a baking sheet, Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate tart shell until firm and ready to use, at least 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the second dough disc from the refrigerator. Roll the pastry into an 11 to 12-inch circle, about ⅛ inches thick. Using a fluted or straight-edge pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or sharp kitchen knife, cut 12 to 14 strips about ¾-inches wide for the lattice top.
  5. Place the lattice strips on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm and ready to use, 10 to 30 minutes.
Apple Filling:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Peel, core, and dice apples into small pieces. Dice the Golden Delicious apples into ½ inch pieces, and dice the Granny Smith apples into ¼ inch pieces. Toss apple pieces into the sugar mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well mixed. Tip: To bake evenly, the Granny Smith apples are diced smaller because they are a firmer apple than the Golden Delicious apples.
  3. Leave the tart shell on the baking sheet for adding the filling and baking so the bottom of the pan doesn’t separate from the outside ring when moved. Spread the apple mixture in the pastry-lined tart pan, distributing the fruit so the top is level instead of domed in the middle.
  4. Mock Lattice Top: Lay 6 or 7 pastry strips horizontally across the filling about ¾ inches apart. Lay the remaining strips on top of the first strips at a 45-degree angle. Using a sharp kitchen knife, trim the strips so they are just touching the edge of the pan. Gently roll the edge of the bottom crust over the edge of the strips.
  5. Cover the tart loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate to re-chill the pastry while heating the oven.
  6. While tart is refrigerating, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, allowing 15 to 20 minutes for the oven to preheat before baking.
  7. Pastry Topping: Remove the chilled tart from the refrigerator. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush milk, half and half, or cream over the lattice top and edges. Sprinkle the entire top of the tart evenly with sugar.
  8. Bake: Leaving the tart shell on the baking sheet, bake 60 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crust is a golden brown.
  9. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Let tart stand at least 3 hours before cutting and serving to allow the juices to slightly thicken.
  10. Serving: When ready to serve remove the outer tart ring. You can leave the tart pan bottom in place or slide the tart off the pan bottom onto a serving platter. Cut the tart into wedges. Refrigerate leftovers.
  11. Tip: Fruit pies and tarts are juicy and usually bubble over while baking; bubbling fruit juices are very sticky and can be hard to clean up. There are a few solutions for easy clean up. Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with foil or parchment paper. If using foil, grease the foil for easier removal, or juices that have bubbled over will cause the foil to stick to the bottom of the pan. Discard the paper or foil along with the spilled juices after baking. Or, place a non-stick baking mat on top of un-greased foil, curve up the edges of the foil to keep the juices from spilling onto the floor of the oven, and place the tart pan directly on the baking mat. Or, place a drip pan lined with foil on a lower oven rack underneath the tart while it is baking to catch the juices when they bubble over.

Rustic Apple Cranberry Tart

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Rustic Apple Cranberry Tart
Bright red cranberries and crisp fall apples make a pretty dessert. The flavors of fall come together in this flavorful tart, sweetened with brown sugar and orange zest.
Recipe type: Dessert | Fruit Tart
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9" Pie Pastry: Classic Pie Pastry Prep: Unbaked Starting Oven Temp: 425° Storage: Covered, Cool Place or Refrigerate

Help: Classic Pie Pastry
Ingredients
Pastry:
Filling:
  • ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (zest of one orange)
  • 4 large tart baking apples, such as Granny Smith
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Topping:
  • Approximately 1 teaspoon milk (preferably whole milk)
  • Approximately 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Pastry:
  1. Prepare Classic Pie Pastry for a 9 inch single-crust pie. Roll out the pastry at least 4 inches larger in diameter than the size of the pie pan. Line one 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pastry; do not cut off the excess pastry. Set aside.
Filling:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest. Set aside.
  2. Peel, core, and slice apples, about ¼ inches thick. Toss apples into sugar mixture, stir until well mixed. Add cranberries, stir until mixed
  3. Spread apple and cranberry mixture in the pastry-lined pie pan. Fold the excess pie pastry up over the filling, leaving the middle open.
Topping:
  1. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush milk over top of pastry, sprinkle with granulated sugar.
  2. Bake: Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Bake an additional 60 minutes, or until the apple juices are bubbling and the crust is a golden brown. Tip: During baking, if crust is getting too brown, loosely place a piece of foil over the top to prevent the crust from over-browning.
  3. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack before cutting and serving.

Apple-Brown Sugar Tart

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Apple-Brown Sugar Tart
Bake this pretty and delicious apple tart when the new crop of fall apples is available. Apples are available year round; however they are especially good in the fall. The brown sugar and almond pastry is filled with sweet baking apples, then covered with an orange marmalade-brown sugary syrup.
Recipe type: Dessert | Fruit Tart
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9" Tart with Removable Bottom Pastry: Brown Sugar Pastry Prep: Unbaked Oven Temp: 350° Storage: Covered, Cool Place or Refrigerate
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Pastry:
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted, then finely ground or chopped
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon ice water (if needed)
Filling:
  • ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
  • 3 sweet baking apples (1½ pounds), such as Gala or Pink Lady
  • 3 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Brown Sugar Pastry:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, almonds, brown sugar, and egg yolk. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, but holds together when pinched with your fingers. Or, process in a food processor. If pastry is too dry, add 1 tablespoon ice water.
  2. Press pastry evenly into one 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom, patting pastry evenly over bottom and up the sides, flush with the rim of the pan.
Filling:
  1. In a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons brown sugar, orange juice, and tapioca; stir until well mixed. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften the tapioca.
  2. Peel, core, and slice apples into ¼ inch-thick slices. Toss the apple slices into the brown sugar mixture, gently stir to coat apples. Place the slices in the prepared pastry lined pan, neatly overlapping the pieces.
  3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine remaining brown sugar and Orange Marmalade. Heat in 30 second intervals using 100% power, stirring each time, until marmalade is melted. Pour evenly over apple slices.
  4. Bake: Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and apples are tender when pierced. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack at least 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan; slide a thin kitchen knife between the bottom crust and the tart pan bottom to release, then slide the tart onto a serving plate.
Serving suggestion: Serve tart either when cooled to room temperature or still slightly warm. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top, or serve ala-mode with vanilla ice cream.