A French Apple Tarte for an American Election Day

In appreciation of my new home (France), but in anticipation of an exciting election night in the U.S., I baked an old-fashioned apple tarte. This was the first tart I attempted to make when I moved to France, and it's become an obsession for me. And my husband, who loves apple pie, loves my new obsession. (By the way, I mentioned in a previous post that he likes "substantial" dinners...he was not excited about that pronouncement, and wants everyone to know that he doesn't like gigantic TV dinners or huge slabs of meat on his plate. He just isn't cut out to be a vegetarian, that's all.)

Anyways, back to the apple tarte. I found this recipe somewhere and adapted it to fit what I had here. I love it, and it's so impressive looking for so little work. I think the hardest part is peeling the apples!

French Apple Tarte

1 store-bought pastry dough
6 baking apples, peeled, cored, halved and sliced 1/8-inch thick (I've used Jonagored and Reine de Reinette, but any tarter, firmer baking apple will do.)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick cold butter, sliced thin
1/2 cup apricot jam, heated and strained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Fit the dough into a large tart pan and trim any excess. Arrange the apples decoratively on the pastry dough, overlapping them. Sprinkle the sugar on top and place the butter slices around the pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crust is cooked through and the apples are golden.

Brush the top of the tart with the apricot jam while still hot.

Before baking:


After baking: