Tarte Fine Aux Pommes Recipe

Make dough

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Bring together

Sprinkle the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, over the flour-butter mixture, tossing lightly with a fork after each addition until the dough just holds together when pressed. Do not overwork.

Chill and roll

Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a thin rectangle or circle about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and about 10–12 inches (25–30 cm) across. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a knife to lightly score a border about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) from the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through (this helps the edge rise). Chill the rolled pastry 10 minutes while preparing apples.

Prepare apples

Peel, core, and very thinly slice the apples (ideally 1/16–1/8 inch or 1.5–3 mm thick). Place slices in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning.

Arrange apples

Starting from the center of the chilled pastry, arrange apple slices in overlapping concentric circles or slightly fanned rows to cover the scored area, leaving the 1/2 inch border exposed. Overlap each slice for a neat, compact surface.

Season apples

Brush the arranged apples lightly with the melted butter. Mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the apples.

Bake

Bake the tart on the center rack for 18–22 minutes, or until the pastry border is golden and puffed and the apple edges are lightly caramelized. If the edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.

Glaze (optional)

If using apricot jam, warm the jam with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan or microwave until fluid. Strain if desired. Within 5 minutes of removing the tart from the oven, brush the apple surface lightly with the warmed jam to create a shiny glaze.

Cool and serve

Allow the tart to cool on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes so the juices set. Dust the border lightly with powdered sugar if desired. Slice into 6–8 pieces and serve warm or at room temperature—plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.