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Sometimes the simplest things taste the best. A few lovely apples, a roll of puff pastry and a little sugar. That is really all you need to put a delicious French apple tart on the table.
Tarte fine aux pommes is a classic of French cooking. Rather than a deep apple pie with a thick base and a generous filling, it is a thin tart that lets the apples take centre stage. The puff pastry turns golden and crisp, the apples soften in the oven, and a thin layer of apricot jam gives the tart a lovely gloss at the end.
I love recipes like this. You do not have to spend hours in the kitchen to make something delicious. A few good ingredients and a little care go a long way.
The art of keeping it simple
For this tart, I use chilled ready-rolled puff pastry. It keeps the recipe accessible and lets you get started straight away. The most important thing is to slice the apples thinly. That way, they cook evenly and you can arrange them in overlapping layers over the pastry.
Take a little time over that last part. Let the apple slices overlap neatly so that the whole base is covered. It looks lovely and means you get some apple in every bite.
A little sugar sweetens the apples as they bake. A pinch of cinnamon or some vanilla sugar adds another note, but neither is essential. The apples deserve to be the star of the show.
How to make tarte fine aux pommes
Ingredients for 4 to 6 people
- 1 roll of chilled ready-rolled puff pastry
- 3–4 firm apples
- 40 g melted butter
- 2–3 tablespoons sugar or cane sugar
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar (optional)
- 2–3 tablespoons apricot jam
- A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
- Flaked almonds (optional)
Step 1 – The oven and the pastry
Preheat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan. Unroll the puff pastry onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Prick the base lightly with a fork so that the pastry does not rise too much during baking.
Step 2 – Slicing the apples
Peel and core the apples. Cut them into thin slices, keeping them as even as possible so that they cook at the same rate.
Step 3 – Assembling the tart
Arrange the apple slices in overlapping layers on the puff pastry. Work from the outside in, or make rows alongside each other. Sprinkle the apples with sugar and, if you like, vanilla sugar and cinnamon. Then brush them with the melted butter. If you are using flaked almonds, scatter them over now.
Step 4 – Let the oven do the work
Bake the tart for about 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. The pastry should be crisp and the apples soft, with lightly caramelised edges here and there. Keep an eye on the tart towards the end of the baking time, as every oven is a little different.
Step 5 – The glossy finishing touch
Warm the apricot jam with a little water to loosen it. As soon as the tart comes out of the oven, brush the apples with a thin layer of jam. This gives the tart its lovely gloss and a subtle fruity note.
The preparation in pictures
Warm from the oven, with something on the side
I like this tart best when it is still slightly warm. The pastry is crisp and the apples are soft.
For dessert, serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The contrast between the warm apple and the cold ice cream makes it especially delicious. For something simpler, a spoonful of crème fraîche is lovely too. Its slight tang balances the sweetness of the apples.
And if you have a slice left over? No problem. You can bake the tart ahead of time and warm it briefly in the oven before serving. That brings back the crispness of the pastry.
A recipe to keep
What I love about tarte fine aux pommes is how little you need to make it. It is an easy recipe for an ordinary day, but it also makes a lovely ending to a dinner with friends.
You can also adapt the recipe to the season. If you have several apple varieties at home, try them and see which you like best. Firm apples that hold their shape are a good choice.
French cooking does not have to be complicated. Sometimes a thin layer of crisp puff pastry topped with lovely apple slices is exactly what you need.
Will you be making this tarte fine aux pommes yourself? Save the recipe, pick up a few firm apples and give it a try. I would love to know whether you prefer it with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.
Bon appétit!
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