This beautiful Apple Tart is an easy dessert that you can make in an afternoon. Flakey homemade pastry crust paired with a sweet apple filling, this dessert is a showstopper!
In a food processor, add flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter. Pulse 4 to 5 times or until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
Whisk the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of water together. While pulsing, slowly add the wet mixture into the food processor. Pulse until a crumbly dough forms and is wet enough to hold together well when squeezed.
Transfer to dough a floured surface and knead a few times until it comes together in a ball. Flouring your surface and rolling pin well, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Roll the dough up around the rolling pin to transfer it to the tart pan. Unroll the dough over the pan and press into the bottom and sides. Use a sharp knife to cut off the excess dough.
Freeze until solid, about 45 minutes. (Crust can be frozen for up to 2 days.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400F. Line the tart crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the paper and weights. Let cool
For the Filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
Peel the apples and core them by standing the apple up onto its stem end and cutting the apple around the core, creating pieces with flat bottoms. Thinly slice the apple pieces into half-moons.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar over the bottom of the tart crust.
Arrange the apples in the frozen tart shell by placing groups of slices in the shell, flat sides down, and gently pushing them in one direction to create a shingled effect. Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar all over the apples
Bake for 45 minutes or until the apples are very bubbly. Brush the apples with the melted jam. Let cool completely before removing the tart from the pan.
Video
Notes
The apples will shrink when you bake them, so arrange as closely as possible, so there aren’t any exposed spots in the tart.
If your apples are small, arrange a single layer of slices on the bottom of the crust before shingling the rest. This will help your apples fill the tart shell.
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Make sure you work fast, and your kitchen is not hot. You want distinct bits of butter in the dough (not melted into the dough), so the crust is flakey.
If you want to save time and skip the homemade crust, you can use store-bought instead.
Be careful not to overwork the pastry dough. If you knead your dough too much, gluten will develop, and when baked, the apple tart crust will shrink.