Description
This Easy French Apple Tart, or Tarte Fine aux Pommes, is a classic and elegant dessert that combines the crisp, buttery layers of puff pastry with thinly sliced, tender apples. Simple yet impressive, it’s perfect for any occasion and pairs wonderfully with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry and Sugar
- 1 square sheet butter puff pastry (25cm / 10" square), barely thawed
- 5 tsp caster sugar (or superfine sugar; regular/granulated sugar can be substituted)
Apple Topping
- 2 large gala apples (or 3 medium), peeled, halved, cored, and sliced 0.5cm / 0.2" thick
Finishing
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
- Vanilla ice cream (highly recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare the baking surface: Sprinkle 3 teaspoons of caster sugar evenly over a sheet of baking paper on your baking tray. This will help create an extra crisp base for the puff pastry.
- Arrange the puff pastry: Place the puff pastry square on top of the sugared baking paper. Carefully fold in the edges of the puff pastry by about 1 cm (0.4 inches) all around to form a slight rim that will hold the apples in place.
- Layer the apple slices: Arrange the thin apple slices neatly over the puff pastry surface, covering it without overlapping too much to ensure even cooking.
- Finish the topping: Brush the apple slices generously with the melted unsalted butter. Then sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of caster sugar evenly over the apples to add sweetness and promote caramelization.
- Bake the tart: Place the tart on a preheated oven tray and bake at 210°C (375°F) or 190°C fan-forced for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the apples are tender and caramelized at the edges.
- Serve: Let the tart cool slightly, dust with icing sugar if desired, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream for the best experience.
Notes
- This recipe comes from a French chef and is surprisingly simple to execute, making an elegant dessert accessible to home cooks.
- Sprinkling sugar underneath the puff pastry gives the base extra crispness.
- The apple slices are lightly sweetened, so you can use any apple variety you like, though gala is recommended for its balance of sweetness and texture.
- Vanilla ice cream is highly recommended as a serving companion, adding creaminess and temperature contrast.
- Watch the recipe video for visual tips and techniques.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 113 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
