Rustic Apple Tart — So Easy and So Good – Fresh From Nancy's Garden

Who can resist this? Not me! And it’s so simple to make.

Since I always focus on all things Italian, I decided to pay homage to the French today with a rustic apple tart…cooked on a French Silpat….and served on a French placemat.

This is one of the easiest desserts you’ll ever make and your friends and family will love it. I tried to keep it as healthy as possible but when you’re dealing with the French, that’s a tall order. I resisted using butter until I got to the glaze. The maple syrup-honey glaze just had to have a little butter to finish it off.

So turn on some French music –Edith Piaf is always good– head to your kitchen and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

INGREDIENTS

1 Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry sheet, defrosted
3-4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
1 lemon to keep apples fresh
1/8 cup white sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon
flour (for rolling the dough)

The Glaze: approximate measures (I’ll explain why later)

1/3 stick butter
1/4 cup really good maple syrup (Aunt Jemima won’t cut it here)
3-4 TBS honey

Peel apples. Place them in cold water with fresh squeezed lemon. This will keep them from turning brown as you work.

Slice very thin and try to keep them the same size so they cook evenly.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together. You’ll have some left over for next time.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle on a floured surface. It doesn’t have to be perfect, remember, it’s a rustic tart. Pinch the edges of the pastry. Sprinkle about 1-2 TBS of the cinnamon sugar mixture on the dough–just enough to cover it lightly.

Cover the bottom of the baking sheet with either a Silpat or parchment paper before you put down the dough or it could stick. Trust me, I know this to be a fact! And it’s a big mess.

Put the apples through your salad spinner to remove most of the lemon water.

Arrange apples in a diagonal pattern and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar–enough so that all apples are covered.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned.

As it’s baking, make your glaze. Put honey, maple syrup and butter in small sauce pan and whisk until butter is melted.

Now here’s my glaze/ingredient story. Normally I would heat honey with apricot jam and it’s a perfect glaze, but I didn’t have any jam so I tore through the pantry looking for inspiration. My first attempt —honey/Cointreau –was a total bust. It tasted terrible.

Then I spotted the Stonewall Kitchen Maine Maple syrup. I grabbed it, added the honey and heated it on the stove. Then I caved and added the butter. I couldn’t believe it! It was so good! In my excitement I forgot to measure so that’s why I had to estimate the amounts. I could have eaten it all before it ever made it to the tart. Next time I’ll make more and use the leftovers for a vanilla ice cream topping.

When the tart is golden brown, remove it from the oven. With a kitchen brush “paint” the glaze over the apples. Be careful not to push too hard. The apples are soft and can move around. I know it’s rustic, but you still want it to look good.