Sunday, April 19, 2009

Rustic Apple Tart



I made this rustic apple tart for dinner guest last night. This tart is a relatively quick easy dessert that's great for entertaining. It can be made several hours in advance. If you want to serve it warm just pop it into 325 degree oven for a few minutes. This recipe is really just a guide. You can use almost any fruit and spice combo that you want. Pears and plums are especially good in this tart.
I use a little vodka in the crust. I find that the vodka makes the crust a little more flaky and tender. If you choose not to use the vodka, simply replace with water.
I used Pink Lady apples for my tart. They are my favorite apple and in season now. They are a firm sweet-tart apple that hold up well in baking. Granny Smiths, Jonathan, Jonagold, Pippin, Gravenstein, Braeburn, and Fuji apples are other excellent sweet-tart choices.

I only got the one picture of this tart. There wasn't a crumb left after dinner.


Crust

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons (about) ice water
1/2 tablespoon Vodka (optional or replace with water)


1 1/2 pounds apples(3 or 4) cut into thin slices (a firm tart apple works best)
6 tablespoons sugar
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

1/4 cup apricot preserves

For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vodka to ice water. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water vodka mixture; blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

For topping:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss apples, 4 tablespoons sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 12 1/2-inch round. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl; sprinkle over dough, leaving 2-inch plain border. Arrange apples on dough, leaving 2-inch plain border; drizzle with melted butter. Fold dough border in toward center. Brush border with egg glaze; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake tart until apples are tender and crust is golden, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Stir preserves in saucepan over low heat until melted. Brush over apples. Cool tart 1 hour on baking sheet. Serve with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

18 comments:

apparentlyjessy said...

I love apple tarts, but I haven't made one in ages, I think I will have to bookmark this recipe to try in the cooler months, nothing better than eating apple tart next to the fire!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

They must have been happy to eat at your table. Looks so yummy.

Elyse said...

This tart is just gorgeous. I'm a huge fan of the rustic look, and I love how versatile your recipe is. I can't wait to try this out with some peaches!

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Oh, that looks beautiful!!

Have a great day and don't forget to send your entry for chocolate-making kit GIVEAWAY on my site!

Margot

grace said...

it comes as no surprise to me that there were no leftovers. heck, i could probably take on the entire thing myself. :)

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Vodka in the crust??
Now that sounds like a secret I am going to have to try.

J.L. Danger said...

its so pretty!

Amanda @ Mrs.W's Kitchen said...

Really, really gorgeous! An apple tart is one of my favorites any time of year.

Kelly said...

How pretty! I love rustic desserts because they look so ready to be eaten. Not that a polished dessert does not look good enough to eat, but that tart sort of demands you take a big bite ... with ice cream. Very nice!

muzzyblue said...

That apple tart looks terrific! I'm going to attempt it very soon!

Eliana said...

Delicious. When I heard you say vodka I thought you may have soaked the fruit in it for a while. That would probably be great too. But I really like the free form of this tart. It's rustic and very elegant.

Annie said...

What a beautiful tart... I love the rustic style!

Sara said...

This is just beautiful! I have a huge apple tree in my yard that will start producing in a few months, so I collect apple recipes to try during that time. Can't wait to make this one!

Mermaid Sews said...

Wow, that is gorgeous. I have always wanted to make one of these. Love the vodka in the recipe!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Given that recipe, it's no surprise there wasn't a crumb leftover. :)

lisaiscooking said...

Beautiful tart! How did the vodka affect the dough?

Unknown said...

It was so simple to make and my husband said that it was better than his mom's homemade apple pie. This recipe is a must try!!!

Daniel said...

This is a winner. Made it tonight with some Honeycrisps fresh from the orchard. The only vodka I had was some that I'm making vanilla extract with for Christmas. It's still a little raw for extract, but it was FANTASTIC in the crust.

Nice, simple, unadulterated -- really lets the apple shine through.

Thanks!