Easy French Apple Tart for Two
And … here’s another great dessert recipe for two: Tarte aux Pommes et Son Crumble.
A lovely French dessert for two: my French Apple Tart for Two Recipe.
If that sounds a bit "franglais" — an English-French mash-up of a dessert, it kind if is. But I didn't just make it up: While desserts with a crumble topping are quintessentially English, French cooks make them all the time. Translated (more or less) as "Apple Tart with Its Crumble," this recipe is inspired by a dish I once saw in a French cooking magazine. I've made a few changes (such as adding shortening to the crust for flakiness); plus, I scaled it down two make two small tarts (rather than one large one).
Another thing that makes this more French than not: The very light use of cinnamon. It's so subtle, complementing rather than clobbering the delights of the sweet-tart apples and the buttery crust.
To entrench this even further into French territory, serve with sweetened crème fraîche -- though whipped cream will also do.
P.S.: This requires individual (4 1/2 or 5 inches) tart pans or crème brûlée dishes. If you happen to have individual pie plates, that would work two. If not, this set on Amazon is pretty darned cute!
Each tartlet could easily serve two. Freeze the other one fully baked. It will freeze beautifully!
French Apple Tart for Two
Note: This makes two small tarts. Each tart could serve two if you're not super-hungry. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or freeze up to a month.
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 2 baking apples (I used gala)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Sweetened crème fraîche or whipped cream
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Make the crumble topping: Combine the 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, and the 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the 2 1/2 tablespoons butter until the mixture is crumbly (a few pieces of butter the size of peas is fine). Set crumble topping aside.
2. Make the pastry: Combine the 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the 3 tablespoons cold butter and the 2 tablespoons shortening into flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, tossing mixture with a fork until entirely moistened. Gather dough into a ball. Divide ball in half. Roll each into a 6-inch circle and fit into two 4 1/2 or 5-inch tart pans or créme brûlée dishes. Set aside.
3. Make the filling: Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Toss with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Spread into the pastry shells, rounding up in the center (the dish will look really full, but that's OK).
4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples, patting down as needed to keep the topping in place. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake another 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender. Cover pastry edge with aluminum foil if it starts too brown to quickly.
5. Serve warm with sweetened crème fraîche or whipped cream.
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