All-American French Apple Tart Recipe

Who doesn't love apple pie? It's an all-American favorite and tastes great at summer barbeques. American apple pies usually have a pastry crust bottom, apples baked in the middle and either a lattice or full pie crust on top. An American apple pie has a homemade, rustic look to it while a French tart looks beautiful and almost too good to eat.

In a recent survey sponsored by Crisco and the American Pie Council, it was determined that 76% of Americans prefer homemade apple pie to the store bought variety. The same survey also discovered that Americans eat an average of six slices of pie a year.

When you purchase the apples, it's perfectly fine to mix varieties. McIntosh apples melt and have more of a 'saucy' consistency. The Golden Delicious variety keeps its shape and tastes sweet. Granny Smiths are sour tasting.

This recipe has been handed down from my French mother-in-law and it is a family favorite.

French Apple Tart

Dough

2 Cups Flour

1 ½ Sticks butter (cold)

1 Egg yolk

2 T. Powdered Sugar

1 T. to 3 T. cold water

Pinch of salt

Pinch of baking powder

Filling

11 to 12 Golden Delicious apples

1 jar of Currant Jelly

1 packages of Lady Fingers (crushed)

Cream

2 Egg yolks

2 T. Powdered sugar

1 Cup heavy cream

½ t. vanilla extract

Sift flour, salt and sugar and put the dry mixture in food processor. Add the egg yolk and cubed butter and pulse. Then test the mixture. Here is how you test it: Gently squeeze a small handful of mixture. It should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, it's necessary to add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring or pulsing 2 or 3 times after each addition until incorporated (keep testing). If you overwork mixture or add too much water, the pastry dough will be tough.

Roll dough out and let it rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper and put it in the tart tin.

Peel and slice the apples and put them in water with lemon juice. A mandolin tool works great for cutting very thin slices.

Put the jelly and crushed lady fingers on bottom of tart.

Fry the apples in butter and add cooled apples to tart.

Brush egg mix on apples and the sides of the dough.

Pour cream mixture on apples.

Bake at 425° on center rack in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the apples and crust turn a golden brown color.

Let sit for 10 minutes and enjoy!