On our way home from Bloomington this weekend we stopped at our favorite local apple orchard and bought some goodies, including a big bag of Jonagold apples. I thought this would be a perfect time to try out this recipe since I’ve been dying to make it. I must say, it is absolutely delicious. I’m not sure if it’s because it is a great recipe, or if it is because the apples are so yummy but either way, this is delicious! We don’t have any ice cream right now but I think this would be even more amazing a la mode.
French Apple Tart
Ingredients:
1 recipe basic tart dough
1 heaping tbsp. apricot preserves
4 large or 6 medium apples, firm textured
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
3 tbsp. sugar, divided
½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
½ tsp. cinnamon, divided
confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out tart dough and press into tart pan, trimming the excess off the edges. Using a fork, lightly poke holes in the tart dough. Cover with a layer of aluminum foil and fill with baking beads. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, remove baking beads and foil, and allow to cool 10 minutes. Spread apricot preserves in a thin layer over bottom of the tart. Allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, peel 2-3 apples and cut into thin slices. Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tbsp. of butter in the pan. Add 1 tbsp. sugar, ½ tsp. lemon zest and ¼ tsp. cinnamon. Add apple slices to the pan and sauté 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft. Gently mash the apples with a spoon or fork and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Peel the remaining apples and cut into slices ¼” thick. In a saucepan or skillet, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp. sugar and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Add apple slices and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat oven to 350°. Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled, glazed tart shell. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce. Cover the edges of the tart with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning of the tart shell. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over the tart. Broil under a preheated broiler 4 inches from heat until the edges of the apples are golden brown and crisp. Remove tart from broiler, remove foil from edges and serve warm.
Source: adapted from Joy of Baking
