Fall is coming!

 There is a different feeling in the mountain air this week and the sky is beginning to change colors. There is nothing like the blue of the fall sky and the clear and crisp fall air.  All of these changes also mean time for fall recipes! Ok, maybe I'm ahead of the season just a smidgen. However, this recipe for French Apple Tart is timeless.

The placement of the apples is a work of art. Take your time and follow the photo for the design and you'll end up with something worthy of the finest Paris patisserie. (Can you tell that I'm missing our overseas trip this year?) this recipe takes a little time, but using the food processor makes a great short cut. You can slice the apples in the food processor or on a mandolin ( carefully!).

If you like this recipe, use the search feature for my German Apple Cake recipe. It is also a favorite!

French Apple Tart

1  1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, divided
1/4 tsp. table salt
7 Golden Delicious or Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored, and halved
1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup apricot jam, optional

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Combine flour, sugar, 8 tbsp. butter, and salt in food processor and pulse until pea­size crumbles form, about 10 pulses. Drizzle in 3 tbsp. ice­ cold water and pulse until dough is moistened, about 3—4 pulses. (Do not pulse so much that the dough forms a ball. It will clump together when you form it into a disk.) Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Note: This can be made up to three days in advance.)

Unwrap dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 13″ circle and then transfer to a 11″ tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges; chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375º. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together. Press sliced apple half gently to fan it out; repeat with remaining apple halves. Place 1 fanned apple half on outer edge of the tart dough, pointing inward; repeat with 7 more apple halves (or as many as you are able to fit — with a smaller tart pan, you won’t be able to fit as many). Separate remaining apple slices. Starting where the apple halves touch and working your way in, layer apples to create a tight rose pattern. Fill in any gaps with remaining apple.

Sprinkle with sugar (You may not need the full 1/4 cup. Use as much or as little as you like. If your apples are really sweet, you won’t need a full 1/4 cup; if you’re using a 9-inch tart pan, you also likely won’t need a full 1/4 cup.) Bake until golden brown, 60—70 minutes.

Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan until warmed and loose; pour through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. Transfer tart to a wire rack; using a pastry brush, brush top of tart with jam. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream.