Make this easy Apple Tart recipe from scratch. The pastry case has a delicate cinnamon flavour which, when baked, has a base of Stewed Apples and Ground Almonds with a topping of more sliced apples tossed in Cinnamon Spice.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
I've included some straight forward step by step instruction to help you make this simple apple tart recipe. If you've never make pastry before, I suggest you read all the instructions first to avoid any soggy bottoms.
Make the Pastry Tart Case
This section for making the pastry tart is based on my step by step instructions on How to Make Short Crust Pastry. Print off a copy and add it to your recipe file for future pastry making.
In a large bowl rub the butter, flour and cinnamon spice together with your fingertips until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency. For the very best results, use a food processor.
Add the egg and water, using a large knife bring everything together until you have a smooth pastry dough. If using a food processor, blitz until all the dough comes together.
Flatten the smooth pastry dough and wrap it in cling film. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge. This allows the pastry to settle, making it much easier to handle.
TIP: If you are not going to use the pastry straight away, you can leave it in the fridge overnight to use the next day. Any longer than that, it is best that you freeze it. See my note below.
Make the Stewed Apple Filling
While the pastry dough was resting in the fridge, I made the stewed apple filling base.
Take one of the 3 apples needed to make this recipe, leave the rest to be sliced later. Peel, core, and chop the apple into small cubes. Add to a medium pan along with 1 tablespoon of water. Gently cook the chopped apples over medium heat until nice and soft.
Take off the heat and mash with a fork until you have a mix of mashed apples with a few rough chunks. A small food processor makes this easier.
This forms the base of the apple filling. Leave in the pan to cool until needed.
Make the Sliced Apple Topping
Slice in half the remaining 2 apples. There’s no need to peel them. Take out the core and slice each apple thinly. The thinner the slices are, the quicker the tart will bake.
Add the slices to a medium size bowl and toss the apples in the ground cinnamon making sure each slice is covered with spice.
Leave to one side until you are ready to fill your baked pastry tart.
How to Line the Tart Tin
Lightly grease the sides and base of a 20cm/8 inch loose bottomed cake tin about 3cm/1inch deep.
Take the pastry dough out of the fridge and start to roll between 2 large sheets of baking parchment until you have a circle that is about 14 inch/36 cm across in diameter and about 3 mm thick, allowing for plenty to overlap your tart tin.
Tip: If your pastry starts to get a little too warm and sticky while rolling it, place the whole thing, parchment included, onto a baking sheet and return to the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes or so to firm up a little.
When you have rolled the pastry out to the correct size, remove the top sheet of parchment. Invert and place the sheet of pastry dough over the tart tin. Remove the bottom sheet of parchment.
Carefully line the tart tin by lifting and dropping the pastry onto the base and into the sides of the tin. Plenty of overlap will allow for shrinkage. Check out my Step by Step How to Make Pastry images.
Cut away any excess pastry that’s hanging over the sides of the tart tin. Use a wad of spare pastry, dab with a little flour and gently press the pastry into the sides of the tart tin.
Cover the pastry with a sheet of cling film to help prevent it from drying out and return it back to the fridge to chill for at least 30 mins. Or you can leave in the fridge overnight to bake the next day.
Blind Bake the Pastry Case
When you are ready to bake
Preheat the oven to 200 deg. Use an oven thermometer to check the correct temperature.
Take the raw pastry tart out for the fridge and carefully dab the base of the pastry dough with a fork. Taking care not to pierce the bottom.
Line the pastry case with scrunched up baking parchment, or a double sheet of oven safe Industrial Cling Film.
Fill with plenty of dried rice or dried beans up to the top. This will help keep the pastry in place during baking. Fold the cling film, if using, over the beans to keep them in place.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 mins by this time the pastry should be dry and semi baked. If not return to the oven with the baking beans for a further 5 mins.
Remove the baking beans and parchment/cling film and return to the oven for a further 5 mins. The pastry should look dry and ever so slightly golden in colour.
To make the egg wash, thoroughly mix the egg with a splash of water or milk.
Take the baked pastry case out of the oven and coat the base and sides of the pastry case with a very light coating of egg wash. Return to the oven for 1 min to dry off.
Tip: Rather than waste the remaining egg wash, it will keep in the fridge for a day. Add it to an omelet or do some more pastry making the following day.
Egg wash will also freeze well.
Take out of the oven and while still warm, using a serrated knife, slice off any excess pastry that is hanging over the sides.
Use the sides of the tart tin to support the pastry case as you slice off the excess. This helps prevent any pastry from breaking away. Slicing from the inside towards the outside helps achieve clean edges
How to Bake an Apple Tart
After baking the pastry tart case you will need to turn the oven temperature down to 180deg
When the pastry tart has cooled a little, spread the base with the ground almonds and top with the crushed slightly stewed apple.
Arrange the thinly sliced apples over the top in a nice decorative pattern packing as many of the apples in as you can. You may not need them all.
Scatter the top of the apples with demerara sugar if you wish. This is optional. TIP: Leave out if you are wanting a sugar free Apple Tart Recipe.
Bake for 30 mins or until the butter and sugar has dissolved and the apples are cooked with a slight firm touch.
Because I blind baked the pastry first, it resulted in a nice crispy base with no soggy bottom.
FAQ'S and Tips for Baking an Apple Tart
If you are not going to use the pastry straight away, you can leave it in the fridge overnight to use the next day. Any longer than that, it is best that you freeze it.
Raw pastry dough freezes really wall. Make sure you wrap it properly to avoid freezer burn. Remember to add the date and type of pastry it is.
Chilling the pastry dough in the fridge helps to relax the dough, making it much easier to work with.
Dessert apples such as Braeburn and PinkLady are ideal for making sugar free apple pies and Apple Tarts. They have a natural sweetness and do not need any additional refined sugar.
If using Baking Apples, which have a sharp tart taste, will need sugar adding to them.
It's always best to blind bake a pastry case before adding a filling. Brushing the baked case with an egg wash also helps seal the base, helping to prevent any fruit juicers or liquids from soaking into the bottom.
Baking blind also cuts down baking time.
Other Sugar Free or Reduced Sugar Recipes
Date & Almond Sugar Free Cookie Bars - This recipe replaces refined sugar with Date Syrup
Low Sugar Apple Crumble (Apple Crisp) - This recipe uses naturally sweet dessert apples and has a reduced amount of sugar in the crumble topping.
Pastry recipes to try
How to Make Shortcrust Pastry - This step by step recipe will get you started on your pastry making journey. It covers how to blind bake and how to line a tart tin and the importance of letting the pastry rest before baking.
Rustic Apple and Pomegranate Galette - There's no need for a pie dish when making this easy version of an apple pie. A simple sheet of Spelt and wheat flour pastry, folded around a filling of sliced and spiced apples and sharp-tasting Pomegranate seeds (Arils).
Bakewell Tart Recipe - A very simple shortcrust pastry, filled with jam and an Almond Frangipane.
Yorkshire Curd Tart using Cottage Cheese - Use cottage cheese for this recipe when you can't get hold of natural curd.
Easy Mincemeat Squares Recipe - A layer of sweet mincemeat folded between layers of shortcrust pastry. A really easy recipe if you are new to pastry making.
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Apple Tart Recipe
Equipment
- 8 inch loose bottomed tart tin
Ingredients - Imperial /oz are approx weights which are calculated by a 3rd party app
For the Pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g unsalted butter very cold and cut into cubes
- 1 egg medium sized
- 1 tablespoon cold water
For the Egg Wash
- 1 medium egg
- a splash of water or milk
Apple Filling and Topping
- 3 Dessert Apple Medium sized
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoons ground almonds
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Demorara sugar or light brown sugar (optional)
- 20 g Butter
Instructions
MAKE THE SHORTCRUST PASTRY DOUGH
- Rub the butter, flour and spice together with your fingertips until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency. For the very best results, use a food processor.
- Add the egg and water to the bowl. Using a large knife bring everything together until you have a smooth pastry dough. If using a food processor, blitz until all the dough comes together.
- Flatten the smooth pastry dough and wrap in cling film. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour in the fridge. This allows the pastry to settle, making it much easier to handle.
- If you are not going to use the pastry straight away, you can leave it in the fridge overnight to use the next day. Any longer than that, it is best that you freeze it.
Make the Stewed Apple Filling
- Take one of the 3 apples needed to make this recipe, leave the rest to be sliced later. Peel, core, and chop the apple into small cubes. Add to a medium pan along with 1 tablespoon of water. Gently cook the chopped apples over medium heat until nice and soft.
- Take off the heat and mash with a fork until you have a mix of mashed apples with a few rough chunks. A small food processor makes this easier.This forms the base of the apple filling. Leave in the pan to cool until needed.
Make the Sliced Apple Topping
- Slice in half the remaining 2 apples. There’s no need to peel them. Take out the core and slice each apple thinly. The thinner the slices are, the quicker the tart will bake.
- Add the slices to a medium size bowl and toss the apples in the ground cinnamon making sure each slice is covered with spice.Leave to one side until you are ready to fill your baked pastry tart.
How to Line the Tart Tin
- Lightly grease the sides and base of a 20cm/8 inch loose bottomed cake tin about 3cm/1inch deep.
- Take the pastry dough out of the fridge and start to roll between 2 large sheets of baking parchment until you have a circle that is about 14 inch/36 cm across in diameter and about 3 mm thick, allowing for plenty to overlap your tart tin.
- If your pastry starts to get a little too warm and sticky while rolling it, place the whole thing, parchment included, onto a baking sheet and return to the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes or so to firm up a little.
- When you have rolled the pastry out to the correct size, remove the top sheet of parchment. Invert and place the sheet of pastry dough over the tart tin. Remove the bottom sheet of parchment.
- Carefully line the tart tin by lifting and dropping the pastry onto the base and into the sides of tin. Plenty of overlap will allow for shrinkage.
- Cut away any excess pastry that’s hanging over the sides of the tart tin. Use a wad of spare pastry, dab with a little flour and gently press the pastry into the sides of the tart tin.
- Cover the pastry with a sheet of cling film to help prevent it from drying out, and return it back to the fridge to chill for at least 30 mins. Or you can leave in the fridge overnight to bake the next day.
HOW TO BLIND BAKE PASTRY
- Preheat the oven to 200 deg. Use an oven thermometer to check the correct temperature.
- Take the raw pastry tart out for the fridge and carefully prick the base of the pastry dough with a fork. Taking care not to pierce the bottom.
- Line the pastry case with scrunched up baking parchment, or a double sheet of oven safe Industrial Cling Film.
- Fill with plenty of dried rice or dried beans up to the top. This will help keep the pastry in place during baking. Fold the cling film, if using, over the beans to keep them in place.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 mins by this time the pastry should be dry and semi baked. If not return to the oven with the baking beans for a further 5 mins.
- Remove the baking beans and parchment/cling film and return to the oven for a further 5 mins. The pastry should look dry and ever so slightly golden in colour.
- To make the egg wash, thoroughly mix the egg with a splash of water or milk.
- Take the baked pastry case out of the oven and coat the base and sides of the pastry case with a very light egg wash. Return to the oven for 1 min to dry off.
- Take out of the oven and while still warm, using a serrated knife, slice off any excess pastry that is hanging over the sides.
- Use the sides of the tart tin to support the pastry case as you slice off the excess. This helps prevent any pastry from breaking away. Slicing from the inside towards the outside helps achieve clean edges
Bake the Apple Tart
- ***Turn the oven temp down to 180deg***When the pastry tart has cooled a little, spread the base with the ground almonds and top with the crushed slightly stewed apple.
- Arrange the thinly sliced apples over the top in a nice decorative pattern packing as many of the apples in as you can. You may not need them all.
- Scatter the top of the apples with demerara sugar if you wish. This is optional. Leave out if you are wanting a sugar free Apple Tart. Dot with cubes of butter.
- Bake for 30 mins or until the sugar and butter have melted and the apples are cooked and feel slightly firm to the touch.
Notes
FAQ'S AND TIPS FOR BAKING AN APPLE TART
- If your pastry starts to get a little too warm and sticky while rolling it out, place the whole thing, parchment included, onto a baking sheet and return to the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes or so to firm up a little.
- Tip: Rather than waste the remaining egg wash, it will keep in the fridge for a day. Add it to an omelet or do some more pastry making the following day.
- If you are not going to use the pastry straight away, you can leave it in the fridge overnight to use the next day. Any longer than that, it is best that you freeze it.
- Raw pastry dough freezes really well. Make sure you wrap it properly to avoid freezer burn. Remember to add the date and type of pastry it is.
- Chilling the pastry dough in the fridge helps to relax the dough, making it much easier to work with.
If using Baking Apples, which have a sharp tart taste, will need sugar adding to them.
Baking blind also cuts down baking time.
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