Kitchen Corner

November 1, 2008

French Apple Tart

I've got a simple and delicious apple tart recipe which no require any butter mixed or frangipane. What I need is just a big packet of green apple with a shortcrust pastry which already had in my fridge, and took me no time to make this tart. I didn't produce a very beautiful rosy look for the tart but I'd say the apple tart smell very good while it's about the time I need to check whether it's done.
I feel the beauty of this tart is that you could still have a big piece of it after your dinner as it's quite a light dessert and not too sweet. You will like to have the second piece.
About the shortcrust pastry, I've been using the recipe for different kind of tarts and it's work very well. Its crusty and crumbly texture is very the English homemade pastry.
If you find the French apple tart is a bit lonely, just serve with a dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream to go with it. Fantastic!
For the shortcrust pastry (9 inches tart tin):
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cold water
220g plain flour
110g unsalted cold butter, diced
20g sugar powder
pinch of salt
  1. Mix the eggs yolks with 2 tbsp cold water stir with a fork until well combine.
  2. Place the flour into the bowl of a food processor, followed by the cold butter and the salt. Turn the processor on and pulse several times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the egg yolk/water mixture and pulse again. Be careful not to overwork the pastry. Stop pulsing when the mixture has the consistency of chunky breadcrumbs.
  4. Turn the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface and, with floured hands, bring together to make a dough, but don't knead.
  5. Shape into a flattened ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. You can keep the pastry at this stage for 2-3 days if not using it immediately.
  6. Remove the pastry from the fridge. On a clean, floured work surface, roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's slightly larger than the flan ring. Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and lay it over the flan ring.
  7. With your fingers, lightly press the pastry into the sides of the ring. Run a rolling pin over the top of the ring and pull away the excess pastry at the edges. Using your fingers, gently press the pastry up to slightly build up the height of the pastry at the edges.

Assemble the apple tart:

  1. Peel and core the apple then cut in to half and slice it into the thickness you like. I slice it quite thinly.
  2. Arrange the apples decoratively on the pastry shell, overlapping them. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the apples, top with butter cubes and bake in the middle of the 180'C preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the crust is cooked through and the apples are golden.
  3. Brush with the heated apricot jam while the tart is still hot.

16 comments:

Passionate About Baking said...

Hi Grace,
Your French Apple Tart looks very nice. It's so simple and nice. It's also quite healthy because it doesn't have any "creams" on it. So simple, but yet so beautiful & delicious! I've never thought that I can just have shortcrust pastry & apples! ;) Nice!

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Jane,
I've been reading some others French apple tart recipe and many of them are without butter cream or frangipane. I think that's one of the goodness if our guests looking for healthy version of dessert.

javapot said...

Just had to drop a note. Love all your photos - this looks like a another great bake, makes me hungry looking at it.

Kitchen Corner said...

Thanks Javapot!

Happy Flour said...

Hi Kitchen Corner,

I just set up a Visitors Board same as yours. I saw bloggers has so many interesting things added to their and your blog yet I don't know how to add all those things. Funny right. I am a 'Computer Idiot'.

Happy baking.

rgds,

Kitchen Corner said...

Hey Happy Flour,
You are not a "Computer Idiot"! Guess what! I've spent quite some time to get use to the blog features. Just trial an error. I've been visiting your blog many times but couldn't leave you a comment. You may need to change the settings for your blog. Please let me know if you need helps. I try my best to explain to you ok. Cheers!

Happy Flour said...

Hi Kitchen Corner,

Thanks. Please help me. Most of the things is set up by my hubby. I only know, how to post photos and recipes.

There was once when I tried to change the template and I accidentally delete my blog. Luckily, my hubby help me to retrieve it back. From then onward I dare not touch anything. Heehee....

rgds,

Happy Flour said...

Hi Kitchen Corner,

I had already changed the comment setting. I think now you should be able to post comment at my blog. Sorry, my mistake again. :O

Thank for letting me know the problem.

Happy baking.

rgds,

Blessed Homemaker said...

I just made an apple tart last week and I still have some pastry in the freezer. Was looking for more recipes and found yours. This is great, no cooking of apples needed. Will do this one day. Thanks for sharing.

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Blessed Homemaker,
Hope you'll like the recipe. Serve it warm with a dollop of ice cream, yummm... :P

Argus Lou said...

Your French Apple Tart looks truly beautiful. :) One great tip I got from an old French cookbook is to spread or strew small pieces of marzipan on the pastry before putting in the apple slices. It tastes wonderfully complementing.

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Argus Lou,
Thanks for the great tips! Will try it when I've a chance to make this apple tart again. Cheers!

XiQi said...

Hi Kicthen Corner,
I found out another shortcrust pastry recipe you used to make the
Chocolate Tofu Mousse:

1 egg yolks
20ml cold water
75g plain flour
150g unsalted cold butter, diced
15g sugar powder
pinch of salt


if I were to compare with this apple tart shortcrust pastry here, the flour increased by more than double (75gm to 220gm), while the butter decreased ? ( from 150gm to 110gm).
are these 2 shortcrust pastry recipe both correct?

I has the tofu mousse sitting in the fridge now and would like to make the pastry.

Intend to make this apple tart too but the amount of the ingredients confused me.

Can you please help?

Thanks in advanced. : )

Kitchen Corner said...

XiQi,
I'm very sorry that there is a typo error on the almond cheese tart recipe. The butter should be 75g and flour is 150g. So sorry!

XiQi said...

Thanks Kitchen Corner. This make more sense now. :)
All the girls in my house cannot wait but finish up all the tofu mousse without the pastry. We all loved this dessert very much.

I will make again this coming weekend, with the pastry.

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi XiQi,
Sorry that I gave you a late replied on last message. I hope the tofu mousse is nice without the pastry. Cheers!