Apple Tart

5 from 2 votes

This rustic apple tart starts with a buttery crust layered with a soft apple compote and thin apple slices on top. A warm apricot glaze gives it a bakery-style finish.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1 5

Chill Time1 30

Total Time3 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Natalie

Ingredients

Homemade Crust (skip if using store bought)

1¼ cups all purpose flour plus a little more for rolling out the dough
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into ½ inch cubes
4 tablespoons water ice cold, amount of water will vary between 4-5 tablespoons, I usually use about 4 tablespoons

Apple Compote

3 Granny Smith apples or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, cut in half, diced into ¼ inch cubes
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pinch salt

Sliced Apple Layer

3 Gala apples peeled, cored, cut in half, thinly sliced, about 1/16 inch (1.5mm) thick, or use Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons sugar

Decoration (optional)

1 large egg optional, for brushing on the crust
3 tablespoons apricot jam optional
1½ tablespoons water optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Homemade Crust (skip if using store bought)

Cut the cold butter into ½ inch cubes. Place the butter in the fridge while you measure the rest of your ingredients.
Measure ¼ cup of cold water* in a bowl. Add a few ice cubes into the water and swirl the ice around. Place the bowl of water in the fridge until needed. You can also place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to ensure the water is very cold.
Take out all the things you will need so that you don't have to go looking for them while making the dough. Take out a spatula, fork, pastry cutter (if using). and some plastic wrap.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter. Use a spatula to toss the butter so it's fully coated with flour. Use the spatula to separate the butter cubes til they're all lightly coated.
Next, use a pastry cutter to start to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Use one hand to turn the bowl while the other hand uses the pastry cutter. Try not to aim for the same spot in the bowl each time and aim to slice through butter with each stroke. When the pastry blender clogs up with butter, clean it out with a butter knife. Use a spatula or your fork to toss the ingredients a little to make sure the butter stays coated with flour. Continue blending with the pastry cutter and turning the bowl until the largest pieces are no larger than peas.
I recommend placing the bowl in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes at this point. This is optional, but it will help keep the ingredients cold.
Next, make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of the cold water (without the ice) into the well. Toss/stir the mixture with a fork to distribute the water. It should be clumpy with some dry spots at this point. Break up any sticky spots. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of water or cold vodka. Stir around with a fork til you don't see anymore pools of liquid anywhere.
Use your hands to scoop as much of the mixture as possible then press it back down onto the rest of the mixture with your fingertips. Sprinkle or flick a tiny bit of water right onto any very dry spots if you notice them. Turn the bowl about a quarter turn and quickly repeat this process a few more times so that the mixture comes together. Knead only as much as needed to combine the dough. Stop kneading when the dough has come together and there are no longer any loose floury bits on the bottom of the bowl.
Do not add any more water than you need. The dough will feel moist but not wet. (I typically use about ¼ cup of liquid or maybe a touch more).
Shape the dough into a ball then set it on a sheet of plastic wrap. Gently pat it into a 1 inch thick disc. Seal any broken edges by pushing the edges of the dough gently on the counter. Wrap dough with a double layer of plastic wrap. Set dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1-2 hours or up to 2 days. While the dough chills, make the apple compote.

Apple Compote

Add the apples, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. If using a vanilla bean, scrape half the bean's caviar (seeds) directly into the apples. If using vanilla extract or paste instead, add it in with the butter. Cover and leave at medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water (about 1 tablespoon) if apples become dry).
Stir in the butter (if using vanilla extract or vanilla paste, add it now). Press down on the apples a little with your spatula then cover and continue cooking until apples have softened and cooked through. The compote should take around 20-24 minutes total.
Transfer compote to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the compote in the fridge and let cool slightly before adding to the base of the tart. The compote should be slightly warm when you add it to the crust.

Assembly and Decoration

For store bought crust, place the pie crust flat on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For homemade pie dough, roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch circle. Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I don't trim the edge, but you can if you want a neater look.
Cover dough with plastic wrap then chill dough again for 20–30 minutes.
Peel and core the remaining apples, then cut in half through the stem. Lay each half on its side, with the stem end facing sideways rather than up. Slice crosswise into thin, even pieces, about 1/16 inch thick, using a sharp paring knife, chef's knife or mandoline. Save any broken pieces or very small pieces in a small bowl.
Take out the chilled dough. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the slightly cooled compote over the dough, Leave a 1½ to 2 inch border. Scatter some of the broken apple slices over the compote.
Arrange the apple slices in about 3 overlapping circles inside your crust. Add any additional apple offcuts in the middle before covering them with the final, smaller middle circle of apple slices. Gently fold edges and tightly press down to seal the dough.
Slide the parchment with the tart onto a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet with the tart in the freezer and preheat your oven to 400°F. If you don't have space in the freezer, chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Beat the egg in a small bowl. (If you're not using an egg, you can brush the crust with about 2 tbsp melted butter).
Once the oven's pre-heated and the crust is cold and firm, use a pastry brush to brush the crust with egg.
Next, brush to gently brush the apple slices with melted butter and sprinkle them with sugar.
Bake for 40-46 minutes until the crust and apple slices are golden brown.
When the tart is almost finished baking, prepare the apricot topping. Whisk together the apricot jam with the water in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds, until bubbling or whisk it in a small saucepan set over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Brush the apple slices gently with the warmed apricot jam right after baking. Transfer the pan to a rack to let tart cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Apples: Mixing tart and sweet varieties adds more flavor than using just one kind. I recommend Granny Smith for the compote and Gala, Golden Delicious, or Honeycrisp for the topping. Avoid McIntosh since they become mushy when baked. Slice the apple slices very thinly so that they cook through.

Arranging the apple slices: Don't worry about making the apple slices look perfect. A little unevenness is part of the rustic charm. Overlap as you go and it'll look great once baked.

Vanilla: Vanilla adds a warm flavor to the compote. Half a vanilla bean gives the best flavor, but vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste both work well too. To prep the bean, run the back of a knife over it to flatten slightly, then slice it in half lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out of one half and add both the seeds and that pod half to the compote as it cooks. Remove the pod before setting compote in fridge to cool slightly.

Make ahead: Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, or frozen up to 1 month. Compote can be made 1 day ahead.

Crust: Instead of beaten egg, brush the crust with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Demerara sugar: Sprinkle the egg edge of the crust with demerara or turbinado sugar before baking for extra crunch and sparkle.

Apricot glaze (optional but recommended): The glaze gives the tart a pretty shine and little extra flavor. You can also make it on the stovetop instead of the microwave. Whisk together the apricot jam and water in a small saucepan over medium heat briefly until warmed through, cook for about 3 minutes.

More topping and serving options: Instead of apricot glaze, dust the tart with powdered sugar just before serving. You can also serve it with ice cream!

Storage: This tart is best enjoyed the day it's made, but it can be Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Nutrition