French Apple Tart Recipe

Tarte aux Pommes

A traditional French apple tart recipe that is easy to make at home and is so tasty everyone will want more! It is so good eaten either hot or cold and so is very versatile.

A good standby for family meals or for entertaining your friends.

One of our favourite French dessert recipes as I am sure it will be yours too once you have tried it.

Apples are plentiful all year round nowadays but of course if you make the most of local ones when in season you will have the most fruitful of puddings!

The French housewife of course makes the most of all the fruit and vegetables available all year round and although this is one of the most simple of dessert dishes it is one of the best for taste and comfort.

French Apple Tart Recipe

Ingredients

Will serve 4 - 6 

1 partly cooked pastry shell - which is made from the sucrée pastry - make a large one for this recipe.

2 lb (1kg) cooking apples

1/3 cup (90gms/3oz) sugar

1/8 cup (30gm/1oz) butter

Grated rind of 1 orange

For the Glaze

2 tbsp apricot preserve (apricot jam)

2 tbsp water

1 tsp lemon juice

Method

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. (Reserve 2 apples for decorating the top)

Cook the sliced apples slowly in a heavy bottomed pan with 1 tablespoon of water until tender but not pureed.

Add the sugar, butter and orange rind.

Continue to cook slowly until reduced to a thick purée.

Allow to cool.

Peel, core and thinly slice the 2 apples which you reserved for the top.

Place the cooked apples in the partly cooked pastry shell.

Arrange the sliced apples on the top of the puree, completely covering the surface.

Bake in a moderately heated oven at 400°F/200°C/Gas 6 for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the apples have just begun to brown.

Heat the apricot preserve with the water and lemon juice, gently, until it forms a syrup.

Press the apricot syrup through a sieve and spoon over the tart to form a glaze.

This apple tart recipe is delicious hot or cold and is really good served with fresh cream, ice cream, creme fraiche, custard or simply on its own.

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