As we head into September, what better way to celebrate the beginning of apple season than with a lovely Tarte aux Pommes! Find the recipe here: 

You will come across a Tarte aux Pommes in most French cafés and patisseries, but nothing comes close to the smell of caramelised apples filling up your kitchen as you make your very own Tarte at home! The thinly sliced apples are arranged in a spiral pattern, which not only makes you look like a professional patissier but also gives the tart its beautiful finish. This simple yet delicious recipe will not fail to impress! 

Total time required: 55 min 

Preparation time: 20 min

Baking time: 35 min

*serves 10-12 people

  • You will need: 
  • *500g all-butter puff pastry
  • *some flour for dusting
  • *6-8 apples Golden
  • *20g butter
  • *caster sugar – 3 tsp
  • *apricot jam – 5 tbsp
  • To make the frangipane: 
  • *60g softened butter
  • *75g icing sugar
  • *vanilla extract – 1 tsp
  • *pure almond extract – 2 drops
  • *1 egg
  • *100 g ground almonds 
  • *cornflour – 1 tsp
  • *dark rum – 2 tbsp 

Preheat your oven to 200°C/fan180°C. Start by making the frangipane. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter with the icing sugar, then add the vanilla and almond extract. Whisk for 2-3 minutes until the butter starts to turn pale. Add the rum and egg before slowly adding the dry ingredients in small quantities. Whisk until the cream is smooth and set aside. 

Next, dust some flour onto your work surface and carefully roll out the puff pastry. You want to roll out your dough into a circle with a thickness of approximately 2 cm (the thickness of a one euro coin) and a diameter of 32 cm. Place your dough in a pan or cake tin lined with baking paper and fould up the edges. Give your tart a border by drawing a line with the back of a small knife 1 cm from the edge of the pastry. 

Prick the insides of the circle with a fork and evenly spread the almond cream onto it. Then start arranging the apples. Arrange them over the frangipane by starting on the outside and overlapping the tightly. You want around 1 cm of the previous slice to still be visible. Once you completed your outer circle, make another, smaller circle overlapping the previous one. Continue until you reach the middle of the circle. 

Melt the butter and rosemary in a frying pan. Once melted, slowly add the caster sugar. Stir carefully, then remove from the heat and evenly brush a thin layer of the sirup onto the apples. 

Bake for 30 min until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are starting to colour around the edges. It might take slightly more or less time depending on your oven. Check if your Tarte is done by very carefully lifting the bottom to see if it is crisp and browned. 

Lastly, heat the apricot jam in a saucepan. Add one or two teaspoons of water if you are finding it difficult to stir. Brush the jam onto the tart. 

Voilà! Your tarte aux Pommes is all finished. Serve with some vanilla ice-cream if you want. 

Babylangues-tarte-aux-pommes

How to make your own pastry. 

If you would rather make your own pastry, here is a recipe: 

  • You will need: 
  • *160 grams
  • *2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • *½ tsp salt
  • *7 tbsp cold butter
  • *3 tbsp cold water

Method: 

Sieve the flour into a bowl and mix in the sugar and salt. Mix the chilled butter into the flour using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork or a food processor. The consistency should look like coarse sand. Some hazelnut-sized pieces of butter should still be visible. 

Sprinkle the cold water onto the mixture. Toss gentrly until you are able to form a ball that holds together. Separate the dough into two smaller balls and press them into thick disk shapes. Wrap in plastic foil and chill for several hours in the fridge before rolling it out. Proceed as you would with the recipe. 

Extra Tip: Sieve your jam before glazing the Tarte to give it an extra smooth finish