Classic French Apple Tart Recipe (Tarte aux Pommes) with Pastry Cream

Classic French Apple Tart Recipe (Tarte aux Pommes) with Pastry Cream

Classic French Apple Tart Recipe (Tarte aux Pommes) with Pastry Cream

There are few desserts as visually stunning and delicious as a classic French Apple Tart, or Tarte aux Pommes. Unlike a rustic American apple pie, this dessert is all about precision and elegance. It features a buttery, crisp pastry shell filled with a rich, velvety pastry cream (crème pâtissière) and topped with meticulously arranged apple slices.

While it looks like it came straight from a Parisian bakery window, you can recreate this masterpiece at home. Below, we break down the process into simple steps, answering the most common questions about achieving that perfect crust and custard.

 

How do I make the perfect pastry dough for a tart?

The foundation of any good tart is the crust. For this recipe, we use a dough that falls somewhere between a shortcrust and a sugar crust. It needs to be sturdy enough to hold the custard but flaky enough to melt in your mouth. The secret is keeping your ingredients, especially the butter and water, ice cold.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into bits

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • Ice-cold water

Instructions:

  1. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

  2. Cut in the butter: Add the cold butter bits. Work it into the flour mixture quickly with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the butter resembles pea-sized pieces.

  3. Add the binder: Work in the egg yolk until the mixture looks like a fine meal.

  4. Hydrate: Use a fork to stir in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough can be gathered together and pressed into a ball. Do not overwork it.

  5. Chill: Shape and flatten the dough into a smooth disc, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. This rests the gluten and prevents shrinking.

 

What is the best way to make creamy Pastry Cream?

The layer that separates this tart from a standard pie is the Pastry Cream. This is a rich, thick custard made with egg yolks and starch. It provides a creamy contrast to the crisp apples. To ensure it is smooth, tempering the eggs (slowly adding hot liquid to them) is the most crucial step.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large egg yolks

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise) or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Whisk the base: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until smooth; set aside.

  2. Infuse the milk: In a saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean almost to boiling. (Note: If using vanilla extract, do not add it yet; add it in step 4).

  3. Temper the eggs: Remove the vanilla bean. Slowly and gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture to bring the temperature of the eggs up without scrambling them.

  4. Thicken: Strain the mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened. Cook for another 30 seconds while stirring, then remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla extract if you are using it.

  5. Cool: Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Cool it down by chilling it in the fridge or over an ice bath.

 

How do I assemble and bake the tart for the best results?

 

The assembly is where the visual appeal comes in. You want to choose apples that are firm and tart (like Granny Smith or Braeburn) so they hold their shape during baking.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large or 4 small apples (firm and tart)

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, to prevent browning)

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions:

  1. Prep the oven and fruit: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Place them in a bowl and toss gently with sugar and cinnamon. If they start to brown, toss in the lemon juice.

  2. Roll the dough: Roll out the chilled pastry into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Fit it into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming the excess dough.

  3. Layer: Give the chilled pastry cream a good whisk to loosen it, then spread it evenly across the bottom of the pastry shell.

  4. Arrange: Arrange the apple slices in a concentric pattern (spiral) over the pastry cream. Dot the apples with tiny bits of butter.

  5. Protect edges: Wrap strips of aluminum foil around the edges of the tart pan to protect the crust from burning.

  6. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the apples and crust are nicely colored. Remove to a rack to cool.

 

How do I give the tart that professional shiny finish?

That glossy sheen you see in bakery tarts is called an apricot glaze. It not only makes the tart look beautiful but also preserves the fruit and adds a slightly tangy sweetness.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup apricot jam

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or water

Instructions:

  1. Heat: While the tart is still warm, heat the apricot jam with the lemon juice (or water) in a small saucepan until boiling.

  2. Strain: Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any fruit chunks.

  3. Brush: Use a pastry brush to apply the warm apricot glaze gently over the apples.

  4. Set: Refrigerate the tart when it has cooled completely. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

The Pastry Dough:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into bits
  • 1 large egg yolk
  •  Ice-cold water

The Pastry Cream:

  • 3 large egg yorks
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

The Apple Layer:

  • 3 large or 4 small apples, preferably firm and tart
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, optional
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

The Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup apricot jam
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or water

Prepare the Pastry Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
  4. Work in the egg yolk until the mixture looks like a fine meal.
  5. Then use a fork to stir in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough can be gathered together and pressed into a ball.
  6. Shape and flatten the dough into a smooth disc shape, it wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 

Prepare the Pastry Cream

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
  3. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until smooth; set aside. 
  4. In a saucepan, heat the milk with vanilla bean almost to boiling. If using vanilla extract, add it later in step 6.
  5. Remove the vanilla bean, then slowly and gradually whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
  6. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking or stirring constantly, until thickened. Continue cooking for another half minute while stirring, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla extract, if using.
  7. Lay a piece of plastic film on the surface of the pastry cream. Cool down the pastry cream by either chilling it in the fridge or over an ice bath, stirring from time to time.

Bake the Tart

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C.
  2. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
  3. Place the slices in a bowl and toss gently with the sugar and cinnamon.
  4. If the apples start to brown, you can toss in a tablespoon of lemon juice.
  5. Roll out the pastry into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and fit into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming the excess dough. 
  6. Give the chilled pastry cream a good whisk to loosen and smooth it out. Spread the pastry cream across the bottom of the pastry shell.
  7. Arrange the apple slices in a pattern over the pastry cream and dot the apples with tiny bits of butter.
  8. Wrap strips of aluminum foil around the edges of the tart pan to protect the crust from burning.
  9. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
  10. Remove the foil, and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the apples and crust are nicely colored.
  11. Remove the tart to a rack to cool.
  12. While the tart is still warm, heat the apricot jam with the lemon juice until boiling.
  13. Strain the mixture.
  14. Then use a pastry brush to apply the apricot glaze over the apples. 
  15. Refrigerate the tart when it has cooled completely.
  16. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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