Culinary Dream Team- Ina's French Apple Tart

Ina Garten's French Apple Tart

This is such a great and simple (sooo easy) dessert for the sophisticated crowd. Ina makes her own puff pastry, but I've adapted her recipe to make it even easier since I have found these store bought ones (as mentioned in my last post, my local food store carries Maison Gourmet puff pastry, which are chef quality, no additives, pure butter pastries) which work just as well.

French Apple Tart

Serves 6 to 8 people

For the pastry:

• Premade/frozen puff pastry like Maison Gourmet

For the apples:

• 4 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
• 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. 
• Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Peel and core the apples. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! 
• When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. 
• Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. 
• Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

This is heavenly with homemade vanilla ice-cream!


Bon Appetit,
Simply Beautiful Now