Fun French Apple Tart – Taking up Sara Moulton’s Challenge!

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Sara Moulton, one of my favorite chefs, posted a baking challenge to make this fun French Apple Tart on Facebook this summer. I was instantly intrigued and was inspired to learn. Tarte aux pommes or apple tarts are simply delicious.

I love apple pies and this had me wondering what are the differences between an apple pie and an apple tart? I did a quick search and found out that in general, a pie is a sweet or savory dish with a crust (top and bottom) and a filling. A tart is a sweet or savory dish with shallow sides and only a bottom crust. So, it sounds like the simple definition is that pie has a top, and tart doesn’t. I sort of knew that, and it’s nice to confirm what I thought to be so!

Anyway, I like this recipe so much that I have made it several times since then. The original recipe calls for Golden Delicious. However, I used whatever apples we have on hand – gala, fuji, pink lady, or even a mix of apples. The key learning for me was how to correctly prepare and slice the apples for this tart. The technique is relatively easy and if done right, can make this such a fun recipe to put together. For this post, I will show you how I put together the tart and include the small tweaks I’ve made to suit my taste.

Here’s one of the fun French Apple Tarts I’ve made:

Ingredients for fun French Apple Tart

For this tart you will need:

1 pie crust, homemade* or store bought. I used store bought pie dough.
flour for dusting when rolling out crust
6 large apples, I used gala and pink lady apples. You can use what you have at hand.

3 Tbsp. (38g) sugar
4 Tbsp. (57g) unsalted butter, sliced thin

For the finishing touch, you will need
½ cup apricot jam combined with 2 tablespoons water, heated, and strained

And topped with:
Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream as an accompaniment.

In addition, you will need a 10 inch (25cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

*The homemade pie crust recipe that Sara Moulton included in her original recipe is available at the bottom of the post.

Preparing the ingredients for French Apple Tart

Let’s start by gathering all the ingredients and tools for this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch (33cm) round and fit it into a 10-inch (25cm) tart tin, trimming the excess. Then, prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork.

Next, cover the dough and chill in fridge for 1 hour.

How to prepare the apples

While the dough is chilling, peel and cut all the apples in half.

Then, using a melon baller, remove and discard the apple cores.

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Next, arrange them cut side down on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, slice the apples crosswise, but don’t cut all the way down; stop just before the back end of the knife reaches the cutting board so that the apples stay attached at the bottom on one side of the apple halves.

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When you have sliced all the apples, turn each on its side to expose the bottom. Next, cut off about 1/4 inch (0.6cm) of the bottom to remove the part of the apple that has not been sliced through.

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This technique will help keep all the slices together and makes it easier to arrange and put together the tart.

Putting it together

Start by arranging 8 apple halves like the spokes of a wheel on the pastry leaving a gap in the center of the spokes. Then, press down on the apple halves to spread the slices slightly.

Next, arrange the remaining apple slices in concentric circles in the center of the tart starting from the outside and working your way in until there is a small space in the center. You can form a small cone as the center of the tart, or simply place the smaller slices in the middle.

After that, sprinkle the sugar evenly on top of the apples, and distribute the butter slices.

Finally, pop it into the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and the apples are golden brown.

When the tart is baking, prepared the apricot jam by adding 2 tablespoon of water, stir to combine and then zap in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to heat. Next, strain the mixture. Then, set aside.

When ready, remove tart from oven and place on trivet.

Next, brush apples with the heated apricot jam while the tart is still hot.

When it’s time, serve each slice of tart with a small scoop of ice cream, or a small spoonful of whipped cream.

Your fun French Apple Tart is ready! Bon Appetit!

Notes on Fun French Apple Tart

1. Try and slice the apples as thinly as possible. In the examples above, the apples I sliced were a tad thick. The thinner the slices the easier it will be to fan out and shape. Also, it’ll look more elegant in the final presentation.
2. To save time and also for convenience, I used a store bought crust.

3. I used this mixed jam instead of apricot jam for a different look and taste. Simply substitute this using the same portions in the recipe.

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Jams used in Baking

I was curious how else jam are used in baking and cooking. I did a bit of reading and found this article by Bon Appetit. Thought I would share =>https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/jam-preserves-slideshow

Making Pie Dough

If you are not in a hurry, try making this pie dough from scratch.

More Fab Flavors:

If you love this French apple tart, how about trying this amazingly delicious French Grape Clafoutis? It takes under an hour to put this dessert together!

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Have you tried this colorful and delicious veggie tart? It’s loaded with veggies and make my mouth happy every time I eat a slice. Plus it looks like a flower blossom which has a cool wow factor.

In the mood to make something savory with big bold flavor? Check out this gorgeous Brioche Wreath => How to Make Savory Pesto Cheese Brioche Wreath