Make Ahead

Apple Pie Tart

by:
September 10, 2009
4.5
11 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

This recipe is inspired by one of my very favorite bloggers, Orangette. This is a recipe that Orangette got from a friend of hers, so the recipe has gone through several hands and iterations. I've adapted it a bit further, and everyone raves about it whenever I bring it into work. —cooklocal

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Cooklocal is a Seattle-based triathlete and food writer.
WHAT: A classic, sweet way to use up the spoils of your apple picking.
HOW: Line a tart pan with a cinnamon-spiked crust. Fill the crust with apple slices, dust with sugar, and bake. Part-way through, glaze with a cinnamon-brandy mixture. Serve warm, à la mode.
WHY WE LOVE IT: What's not to love about a classic apple tart? (We could stop there, but we'll go on.) The warm apples in a butter-based crust, the cinnamon aroma that fills our kitchen, the bite of brandy (tempered by a glass of milk)—it's just the thing we want this fall. —The Editors

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Ingredients
  • For the crust:
  • 5 tablespoons butter, cold
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • .5 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the apple pie filling:
  • 3 Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp Apples
  • 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon pear or apple brandy
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
  1. For the crust:
  2. Cut the butter into small chunks.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon until the butter is the size of small peas.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until the mixture is crumbly.
  5. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a spring form pan or a tart pan.
  6. Using your fingers, press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan, spreading it up the side of the pan as well.
  7. Set aside while making the filling.
  1. For the apple pie filling:
  2. Peel and core the apples.
  3. Slice the apples very thinly. This will look like a lot of apples, but it will all work out.
  4. Starting from the center of the pan-filled tart pan, arrange the apples in circles, filling an entire layer of the pan. When the first layer is done, start on a second layer and a third if necessary. Repeat until all of the apples have been used.
  5. Sprinkle the tart with 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake for 40 minutes at 350° F.
  6. Five minutes before the 40 minutes is up, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan.
  7. Remove the butter from the heat and mix in the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, the brandy, and the cinnamon with a whisk.
  8. Remove the tart from the oven and brush with the glaze.
  9. Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes.
  10. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
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8 Reviews

MBE October 12, 2022
Actually I would give 5 stars to the apple filling. It was the crust that didn't win us over. It was something between a pastry and a cake. Even though I buttered and floured a 9 inch spring form pan, it stuck to the bottom, making it difficult to serve. So will keep the filling and pair it with a different crust.
christina0830@yahoo.com November 24, 2021
This made a beautiful, delicious tart! It was also surprisingly easy for something so elegant looking. Thanks for the recipe! Wish I could've submitted a picture. I'm proud of it 😊
Dorothea B. October 9, 2021
I would like to see the answer to the earlier question about the size of the tart pan. 10 inch or 12? Would a springform pan work instead?
AraceliAdams November 22, 2019
I made this last night and was a super hit! I halved the sugar all throughout and added a bit more butter and it was simply perfect.
KGpolicy November 18, 2019
Delicious finish to Friendsgiving 2019. I was worried about how crumbly the crust was, but it all came together wonderfully. I made the mistake of pressing it into the sides a little tooooooo hard which made it really crunchy, so next time I'll be more delicate with it. Oh, and I used apricot liqueur instead of the brandy to rave reviews. Thanks!
bethL November 25, 2017
Huge thanksgiving hit! Looked beautiful and was very easy. I used Chambourd, since it was all that I had. I didn't use all glaze. I wasn't sure if I was suppose to. I also put it under broiler for a few mins. at the end.
Yeliz October 30, 2015
Hello there, sounds wonderful but which size tart tin is best to use?
jimwu September 20, 2010
Excellent recipe. I tried it out this past weekend and the whole family loved it! I didn't have pear or Apple Brandy and it still tasted great!