Description
This classic Apple Tart features a buttery short crust pastry filled with a luscious cinnamon caramel and topped with thinly sliced, tender apples. The caramel adds a rich sweetness that perfectly complements the tart’s crisp apples, finished off with a glossy apricot jam glaze for an irresistible dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry and Caramel
- Flour, for rolling
- 1 disk basic short crust pastry, chilled
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Apple Filling and Topping
- 3 to 4 small assorted apples (3 to 5 inches in diameter)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam
Instructions
- Roll and Prepare Crust: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer it to a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan sides and let the overhang rest on the edge. Use a rolling pin to trim excess dough by running it over the top edge of the tart. Freeze the crust until firm, about 20 minutes.
- Make the Caramel: In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, combine sugar, butter, kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan gently to dissolve the sugar without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the heavy cream (watch for sputtering). Return to heat and stir until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside to cool until warm and pourable, then stir in the ground cinnamon.
- Prepare the Apple Filling: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Core each apple by cutting around the core into quarters, discarding the square core pieces. Thinly slice each quarter into half-moon shapes, keeping the slices grouped together on the cutting board.
- Assemble the Tart: Pour the slightly cooled caramel into the frozen tart shell and spread evenly across the bottom with the back of a spoon. Arrange the apple slices on top, gently pressing and fanning each group of slices and trimming as needed to fill gaps. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the apples and evenly dot with 1 tablespoon butter pieces.
- Bake the Tart: Bake on the lowest oven rack until the crust is deep golden brown and the apples are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. If the crust browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil. Note that the caramel may appear wet but will thicken as it cools.
- Glaze the Tart: While baking, stir apricot jam and strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove larger fruit pieces. When the tart is out of the oven and slightly cooled, brush the apples lightly with the jam using a pastry brush. Let cool further before serving.
Notes
- Use assorted apples for varied textures and flavors; firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji work well.
- Ensure caramel is not too hot when poured into the crust to prevent melting the dough.
- Freezing the crust before filling helps prevent sogginess during baking.
- Tent the tart with foil if the crust edges brown too fast to avoid burning.
- Serving warm or at room temperature enhances the flavor and texture of the tart.
