Equipment
Ingredients
Pâte Sablée (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 2 g salt
- 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 30 ml ice water
Apple Filling
- 3 baking apples
- 15 ml lemon juice
Vanilla Custard Appareil
- 200 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 5 g vanilla bean paste
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 427 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 126 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 129 mg
- Potassium
- 144 mg
- Calcium
- 38 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 84 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 237 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 37 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolk and ice water to the crumbly mixture. Bring the dough together gently without kneading heavily. Shape into a flat disk, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough with a rolling pin to a 3mm thickness. Carefully lift and press the dough into the tart pan, trimming any overhang. Prick the base lightly with a fork and chill for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Line the chilled tart shell with parchment paper and fill to the brim with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights, and bake for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is pale golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
Peel, halve, and core the apples. Slice them very uniformly, about 3mm thick, and toss them gently with the lemon juice in a bowl to prevent browning.
In a separate mixing bowl, use a whisk to thoroughly combine the heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean paste until completely smooth.
Arrange the sliced apples in an overlapping concentric circular pattern inside the partially baked tart shell, starting from the outer edge and working inward.
Carefully pour the liquid custard mixture over the arranged apples, ensuring the liquid fills the gaps evenly but does not breach the top edge of the pastry.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Bake the assembled tart for 35 to 40 minutes until the custard is firmly set and slightly puffed, and the apples are tender.
Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before carefully unmolding and slicing.
Chef's Notes
- For the neatest presentation, arrange the apple slices closely together; they will shrink slightly as they release moisture during baking.
- Using a mix of apple varieties (such as one Granny Smith and two Honeycrisp) provides a wonderful balance of tartness and structure.
- If your pastry cracks during the blind bake, make a paste with a little leftover raw dough and water to patch the hole before adding the liquid custard.
- To achieve a glossy, professional finish, you can brush the baked apples lightly with warmed apricot jam immediately after removing the tart from the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to keep pastry from absorbing fridge odors.
Troubleshooting
Custard leaks out of the tart shell during baking
Cause: Shrinkage or invisible cracks in the pastry shell from stretching the dough
Fix: Wrap the outside of the tart pan in aluminum foil before pouring the custard to catch drips and prevent burning on the oven floor. Cannot be fully fixed once baked.
Prevention: Never stretch the dough when fitting it into the pan; instead, gently lift and ease it into the corners. Ensure adequate resting time in the refrigerator before baking.
Pastry is tough rather than crumbly and crisp
Cause: Overworking the dough or adding too much water, which develops the gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Mix the dough only until it just comes together. Leave visible streaks of butter.
Cultural Context
The Tarte aux Pommes is a cornerstone of French pâtisserie, found in bakery windows across France. While the standard version often layers apples over compote, adding a vanilla 'appareil' (custard base) transforms it into an Alsatian or Norman style tart, bringing a luxurious creaminess that marries beautifully with the tart, autumnal fruit.
