A delicious French Apple Tart that is super easy to make. This is a simplified version of Simone "Simca" Beck's "Tarte aux pommes, tiede" recipe. I have always found the classic recipe a bit hard to understand, so here is a simplified version below.
12tbspButter (Cut into Small Cubes)(12 tbsp is 1.5 sticks of Butter)
1Egg Yolk
3tbspCold water
Filling
1Golden Delicious Apples
1Lemon, juiced
1cupApricot Preserves, Strained
2tbspSugar
Instructions
Preheat over to 400°F
Place the flour and salt into the food processor. Then pulse the flour with the salt for about 5 seconds to quickly sift the ingredients together.
Add the butter (make sure that the butter is cut into small cubes) to the mixture. Pulse the mixture until the butter has broken up into small pieces (small enough where some of the butter is still visible, but the butter should not be grainy). Make sure NOT to over-pulse the mixture.
In a small bowl, combine the egg and water. Beat the egg and then add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Pulse the flour mixture about 6 times (until a ball forms). The pasty at this point should be not dry or sticky (add a few drops of water if necessary to make a smooth ball).
Place the pastry ball on a lightly-floured cooking surface and knead the ball for about 15-20 secs so that the ball is well mixed. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Roll the dough so that it is ⅛" inch thick. Fit the rolled dough into the tart pie. Then fold down the excess dough into the sides so that the dough on the sides is about ¼" thick (or double thickness).
Use the pastry brush to brunch a layer of apricot preserves (about 1/4 of a cup) onto the bottom of the tart dough.
Starting from the middle, arrange the apples in a circular pattern. Continue to layer the apple until the tart is filled.
Sprinkle the top of the tart with sugar. Then glaze the top of the tart with about 1/2 of the apricot preserves.
Place tart in the oven (400°F) and bake for 20-25 minutes until the apple slices are tender and slightly brown.
Glaze apple tart with the remaining apricot preserve. Cool until the tart is only slightly warm, then serve!