French Cinnamon Apple Tart / for the francophiles among us
So simple but so delicious...sweet pastry crust with a wonderfully crisp texture and sweet buttery flavor. Add thick layer of apple slices drenched in buttery-sugary-cinnamony sauce. Awesome at the end of a good dinner, or with a warm cup of tea.
INGREDIENTS---The crust 1-1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup conf/sugar 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/4 cup cold water
The apples 3 – 4 baking apples 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon apricot jelly, to glaze
DIRECTIONS Make crust: Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper. Processor/combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter and pulse quickly until the butter gets a coarse-grainy texture, about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and pulse until just moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds. You might pulse by increment until you get the proper texture. Remove to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times with your hands until the dough comes together into a ball. Flatten the dough into a thick disk. Flour your work surface again and dust the disc of dough with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle 8 to 10 inches in diameter. You can sprinkle more flour as you go to prevent the dough from sticking. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples in half. With a sharp knife, cut thin slices across, maintaining the slices together to keep the halved apple’s shape. You can brush the apples with lemon juice to keep them from browning. Add to bowl of sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and the pinch of salt; toss to combine and set aside.
Assemble: Finish rolling dough directly on the parchment paper, into 11 or 12" circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place the parchment and dough back on the baking sheet (the pastry may cover the baking sheet). Put a round 10-inch tart pan over the pasty and, holding firmly, return the whole thing to transfer the pastry to the tart pan, discarding the parchment paper. Cut the excess dough from the edge if necessary. Fork/Prick the pastry and arrange the apple slices on top, keeping their halved apple shape. Brush the apple slices with the mixture of cinnamon, butter, vanilla, and sugar, making sure to brush in between the slices as much as you can. Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on top of apples if you like, and chill the assembled tart in your refrigerator 15-20 min.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F and set the rack in the middle position. Bake 55-65 minutes, apples are tender, crust is golden and cooked through. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool down. Glaze: In a small bowl, mix the apricot jam with 1-1/2 teaspoons water. Using a pastry brush, brush the apples with the mixture.
Serve at room temp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
TIPS Do not overwork dough: the secret to a perfect crispy-fluffy crust is to mix and gather the dough just until it holds on its own. Do not knead excessively. You can soak the apples in a mix of water and lemon juice to prevent them from oxidizing while cutting the slices and arranging the filling. TO DO AHEAD dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Serve after sitting at room temperature for about 15 min----best enjoyed the same day----leftovers will keep 2 or 3 days, loosely covered on countertop. Avoid storing in the refridge---bottom crust might get soggy after a while.