Apple Tart

Long before this blog existed, my favorite question to ask people while waiting for our food to arrive at restaurants was, "If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? And why?" And my step-dad once famously answered, grapes.

It was a stunning answer, especially compared to other people's—like Matt and his choice of spaghetti and meatballs. (Good answer!) See, I had intentionally worded the question with a loophole. "If you could only eat one thing." I didn't say: if you could only eat one item. And I certainly didn't say one specific kind of fruit. If memory serves, I believe his reasoning was that grapes would also provide water, and then you had the option of drying them and enjoying raisins. Which is a great introduction to my step-dad, who was a Blue Angel in the Navy and has been trained on how to survive in the jungle for weeks on end sans creature comforts. So while the rest of us debated whether or not we'd get sick of spicy tuna after a month, my step-dad was planning how to keep himself alive.

As for me, my answer had always been sushi, but some six years later, my answer has changed. Today it would be tarts. And why? Because they're magical. (Please see above photo as evidence.) I love how they look. I love how they taste. Bonus, they can be savory or sweet. And, lastly, I love how accomplished they make me feel when I make them. (A post about a mustard tart is forthcoming.)

This particular tart recipe came from a chapter of My Berlin Kitchen. A couple of sentences in particular sold me on it. First: "The pastry was flaky as can be—it practically crackled under the knife." And secondly: "This tart is about the pure, clear taste of apples, sugar, and a little bit of butter." It's also one of those amazing recipes where if you buy apples, you probably have everything you need to make it. 

And lastly, may I just add that this was a true Bon Appétempt, because not only did I get that crackling  pastry, but in this chapter, Luisa makes the tart post-argument with her father. And I made it post-argument with Matt. Not that I'm recommending you do the same, but maybe if you find yourself stewing after a fight, and you have the ingredients on hand, you should make apple tart. Just an idea!

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot. This was the Thanskgiving Day dish winner! Emoji score? star, green apple, star, green apple, thumbs up, sparkling star.

Apple Tart via Luisa Weiss' My Berlin Kitchen

makes one 10 to 12-inch free-form tart

**Full disclosure: I accidentally threw away the peels and cores of the apples and thus, couldn't make the glaze. The good news? It was still super delicious.

dough
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons well-chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces

filling
2 lbs. Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (Don't discard the peels and cores!)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3-5 tablespoons sugar (I'd go for 5! I went for 4, and ended up sprinkling a little more sugar on top, but then again, I didn't have the glaze. With the glaze, it probably would've been perfect...)

glaze

1/2 cup sugar

Place flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is broken down into lima bean-sized pieces, no smaller. 

Drizzle in up to 3 1/2 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing or stirring after each addition, until the dough just holds together. You might need a little more or less water depending on the weather where you are.

Dump out onto lightly floured work surface and gather it together, flattening into 4″ wide disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a lightly floured work surface. Then remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap the dough and begin to roll it out with a pin, turning it over and over repeatedly so that it doesn't stick to the counter as it gets thinner. Flour as needed. When the dough is a 14-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick, dust the excess flour from the dough with a brush. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the rolled dough round on it.

Place the apple slices in overlapping circles on the dough, leaving a 2″ border. Crowd as many apple slices as possible; they will cook down in the oven. Fold the edges of the crust over the tart, creating a rustic crust, leaving the center of the tart uncovered.

Brush melted butter over the apples and onto the crust. Sprinkle the sugar over the crust and apples as well.

Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the apples are soft, with browned edges, and the crust has turned a dark golden brown.

In the meantime, for the glaze, put the reserved peels and cores in a saucepan along with the sugar. Pour in just enough water to cover, and bring to a boil; then cook for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the apple trimmings, and return the liquid to the pan and bring it to a low boil. Reduce it until thickened and syrupy, another 10 to 15 minutes. 

When the tart is finished, pull the parchment paper and the tart from the sheet onto a cooling rack. Let cool for about 15 minutes, and then brush the apple glaze over the apples. Serve warm or at room temperature.