Rustic French Apple Tart

When we think of French desserts, we usually imagine fancy pâtisseries with pyramids of pastel-colored macarons and glossy fruit tarts. But when the French bake at home, they keep it simple. One of my favorite food writers, Dorie Greenspan, wrote of her time living in France: “No matter how chic the hostess, her homemade dessert invariably looked as rustic as if it had come from a farmhouse grand-mère.” The recipes are often centuries old and passed down through the generations. In fact, the recipes are so tried and true, she writes, “many French women make them without recipes, or au pif. (I love the sound of this expression — oh peef; literally, it means ‘by nose,’ but it’s used for stuff you just do, by second nature, feel, guesswork. In cooking, it’s often a case of a-little-of-this-and-a-little-of-that.)” (Read Dorie’s wonderful article When French Women Bake here.)

This free-form apple tart is something the French might throw together au pif. Like an apple pie without the pan, it consists of a thin layer of sliced apples baked on top of a buttery, flaky crust. I know the mere mention of a homemade pastry crust and rolling pin is enough to send some people running for the hills but, rest assured, this tart relies on a dough that’s virtually foolproof and easy to roll to out — and it comes together in a food processor in under a minute. And the beauty of a free-form tart is that you don’t have to fuss over crimping the dough into a pie plate: you simply fold it casually over the fruit. The charm of this dessert lies in its imperfections.

Ingredients

• For the Crust
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup very cold water
• For the Filling
• 1-3/4 lbs baking apples (3 large)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• For Assembling & Baking
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1 tablespoon apricot jelly or jam, optional for glaze

Instructions

1. Make the crust: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine. 
2. ................................

for full recipes please see : www.onceuponachef.com

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