Rustic Apple Tart with Honey, Dried Fruits and Nuts
A Delicious Fall Dessert
Of all the season in the year, I would choose fall as my favorite. There is so much to love about this time of the year. As the temperature drops, the leaves on trees start to change into hues of reds, oranges and yellows. Sweaters get taken out from the back of the closet as shorts and t-shirts get put away for the next year.
Autumn is also the time to enjoy great food. Here in Japan, apples, pears, figs, persimmons and grapes are at their peak as well as pumpkins, sweet potatoes and chestnuts. Every year I get a box of freshly-picked apples sent to me from the countryside and although they are absolutely delicious eaten fresh, I can never seem to eat them fast enough so they usually end up as jams. This year I vowed to do something different with the leftover apples so after checking out what I had in the kitchen, I decided on this rustic apple tart that I had made a few years back. This is one of my favorite recipes for using up apples as it's relatively easy to make and has the perfect amount of sweetness.
*Photos taken by myself unless otherwise noted.
A World of Pies and Tarts
Ingredients
- CRUST
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup frozen solid vegetable shortening cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- FILLING
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 small apples (such as Granny Smith) peeled and cored each cut into 12 slices
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup chopped assorted nuts
- 1/3 cup dried fruits
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar crystals
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- For the crust:
- Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in a small bowl and pour over the flour mixture. Stir with fork until clumps form, adding more water if the dough is dry. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- For the filling:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and saute until brown and slightly tender. Reduce the heat to medium and mix in cardamom. Pour 1/3 cup honey over and cook for 1 minute.
- Position rack in top third of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a 12 inch round. Remove the top sheet of paper. Sprinkle evenly with the nuts. Replace paper on top of the crust and roll to a 13 inch round embedding the nuts into the dough. The crust will be very thin so be careful in handling the dough.
- Invert the crust onto a baking sheet. Remove the top paper and spoon half of the apple mixture over the crust, leaving a 2-inch border at the edges. Sprinkle the dried fruits over the apple mixture and top with the remaining apple mixture. Using the paper to help you, carefully fold the outer edge of the crust over the apples.
- Whisk egg and milk in a bowl and brush edges generously with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the crust and apples with the raw sugar crystals.
- Bake the tart until crust begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 10 minutes longer or until it's golden brown. Loosen the tart with a spatula and cool on a baking sheet.
- Slice and serve. I like to serve this with freshly whipped cream and honey or with a scoop of ice cream.
Let Me Know What You Think
Pictures to Make it Easier
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Apple Gallette Video
This is a great video on how to make the apple tart. It shows you the most important parts of the recipe such as making the dough and folding the dough onto the apples.
What's Your Favorite?
How do you like your apples?
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Celebrate the fall with Imoni Beef Stew
- Tonkatsu with Cranberry Sauce
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Frosting
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to visit my food and travel blog for more. CLICK HERE to visit TABIEATS.
