Rustic Apple Tart

Rustic Apple Tart – wow with this yummy dessert!

Rustic Apple Tart

This dessert is know by a few names – Rustic Apple Tart, Country Apple Tart, Crostata (in Italy) and Galette (in France.) Essentially this is a free-form or rustic tart, with the dough casually folded up around the filling. It turned out to be the perfect finale for our Rustic French-themed Gourmet Group dinner.

Making pie crust has never been my sweet spot, so I typically buy ready made crust. But since this dessert was for Gourmet Group, I decided to make the pastry, which wasn’t that difficult. That’s because you use a food processor vs. cutting the butter in by hand.

Tart Tips

My recipe said to leave a 3″ border for folding over the edges. Even though that’s what is shown in this photo, I recommend leaving closer to a 2″ border. Otherwise the crust overlaps too far and you won’t see as much of the beautiful fruit.

I added cinnamon to the sugar sprinkled on top of the apples before baking. While not included in the initial recipe, I feel like apples and cinnamon just belong together. Cinnamon is included in my version of the recipe.

My other personal touch was to serve the Rustic Apple Tart at room temperature with almond-flavored whipped cream and a lovely tawny port. The apples, almond and port were a delicious combination. Another option is to cool the tart just slightly and serve it with ice cream.

Easy Button

I believe you could make this recipe with ready-made pie crust, but you may not be able to roll out a large enough circle and still maintain the 1/4″ thickness. If you opt for ready made crust, make the circle smaller to maintain the right thickness. Then also overlap less dough over the edge of the tart. You will probably only need about 3 apples as well. While the finished tart will probably be smaller, it will be a snap to make and still be a dessert that wows!

More Rustic French Recipes

Stay tuned for additional recipes from our Rustic French menu, including Camembert Beet & Artichoke Salad and Beef Bourguignon. Yum, yum!

Rustic Apple Tart

Rustic Apple Tart is a dessert that wows! This easy pastry crust is made in a food processor and simply topped with a beautiful display of apples. Try it topped with almond-flavored whipped cream.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Apple, Tart

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Cool: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Jacques Pepin & Grace Parisi

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter (6 oz.)
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 3 1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut int 1/4″ thick slices
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp apricot preserves, melted and strained

Whipped Cream – optional

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powder sugar
• 1 tsp almond flavoring

Instructions

• In a food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the salt. Add the cold butter and process just until the butter is the size of peas, about 5-10 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and process just until moistened, about 5-10 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 16- to 17-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. 
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it onto the prepared baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and sprinkle over the dough. Arrange the apple slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 2 inches of the edge. Fold the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion. Combine remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the apples with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon & sugar mixture. Refrigerate the unbaked tart until slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
  
• Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the tart in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and golden and the crust is deep golden and cooked through. Brush the apples with the melted preserves. Slide the parchment onto a wire rack and let the tart cool slightly before serving.
  
• If serving with whipped cream – using chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and almond flavoring until soft peaks form. Serve with apple tart. Note – you can make whipped cream hours and up to a day in advance. It the cream starts to get watery, just whip with a hand whisk prior to serving. It comes back together perfectly!

Notes

The baked tart can be stored overnight at room temperature. If desired, reheat in a 325° oven before serving.