Tarte aux pommes – French Apple Tart

Prepare pastry. There are many variations of pastry for open-faced pies in the French cuisine. As for apple pies, it is recommended to use crispy and sweet enough flan pastry.

In a bowl, add flour, salt, powdered sugar and diced butter. Carefully mash flour and butter with your hands until you get flakes the size of a little finger nail.

Add the egg, mix everything together with your hands until smooth, but not too long.

Add cold water and knead the dough abruptly.

Roll the dough into a ball, place on a board and start punching it down: press into the center and then fold the edges of the dough into the center forming a ball. Repeat for 4-5 times to “knead the dough” not actually kneading it to make it crispy.

Roll the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

The dough can be kept refrigerated for 1 week, frozen – for 3 months. So I would recommend you double or triple the recipe to save some dough for later.

Prepare the filling. Peel the apples, cut in half and remove seeds.

Cut each half in thin slices (1-2 mm). Transfer 5 right and 5 left slices directly to a pot where you are going to prepare the apple filling, or compote. Leave the remaining slices together for them not to turn brown. Proceed as described above with the rest of the apples. You should end up with a raw of large apple slices, and approximately 1/3 of the apples in small slices in the pot.

To the pot, add butter and water. If apples are not sweet enough, add 1-2 tbsp sugar.

Split the vanilla bean down its length with a knife, scrape out the seeds and add to the pot. Cut the pods crosswise and add to the pot as well.

Stew the apples over medium heat until soft/done. Remove from heat, discard the vanilla pods, mash with a fork until you get the consistency of compote – puree with tiny fruit pieces. Let chill.

Take the pastry out of the fridge. Roll out the pastry between two parchment sheets until it is about 3 mm thick. The diameter of the circle should be bigger than your tart pan.

Roll the pastry around your rolling pin. Unroll over the top of your 24 cm diameter tart pan, gently pressing the pastry onto the bottom and upping the sides of the pan. Trim the edges. Refrigerate for 20 min.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Take the pastry out of the fridge. Spoon the apple compote into the crust. Smooth the surface.

Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the apple compote: start from the outside, arrange apples in a circular layer. Arrange a second layer in an opposite circular pattern. Once you reach the very center, use small apple slices to create a floret in the middle.

Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 35-40 min until the apple slices and the edges are brown.

Take the tart out and let chill in the pan. While the tart is still warm, warm up the quince or apple confiture or jelly and brush it over the tart. The apples will gain a brighter color and glance, the tart - a more interesting taste.
You may also use sugar syrup: bring to a boil 80 g of powdered sugar or sugar together with 40 ml of water and cook for 4-5 min, then remove from heat and let chill.

Release when the tart has completely chilled.

How to serve:

Serve slightly warm.

How to keep:

Keep at room temperature for up to 1 day. However, it is usually immediately eaten :)