Easy Apple Tart Recipe (with Almond Paste Filling)
My Easy Apple Tart Recipe features a hidden layer of delicious homemade almond paste underneath the apples. It's a wonderful dessert for fall or winter and will for sure be a hit at any party or celebration!
Servings: 10
Equipment
- Round Tart Pan (8-inch or 9-inch)
Ingredients
For crust:
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 169 g
- 4 ounce unsalted butter cold and cubed, 133 g
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar 23 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon cold water only use as much as needed
For almond paste:
- 1 cup almond meal/flour 129 g
- ½ cup powdered sugar 50 g
- 1 egg white
- ½ teaspoon almond extract use more for stronger almond flavor
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For apple topping:
- 2 large honey crisp apples or 4 small ones, use similar size apples
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12 g
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted, 14 g
Instructions
- First, make the pie dough: place flour, sugar and salt in the food processor fitted with the dough blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the cubed cold butter and pulse until butter is about pea and lima bean size and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough starts to pull together. Be mindful not to overmix, you still want chunks of butter in the dough to create a flaky crust.
- Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Second, make the almond paste: without washing the food processor, switch to the metal blade. Add almond meal/flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl of the food processor and pulse to mix. Add egg white and almond extract, process until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Almond paste can be prepared well in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Third, assemble and bake: take the pie dough out of the fridge and roll out into a circle about ¼” thick and about 2" larger than your tart pan. Transfer the dough to your tart pan and lightly press into the bottom and sides. Let the excess dough hang off the edge, then take your rolling pin and roll it along the edge of the pan to take off the excess dough. Cover with plastic and place in the freezer while the oven is preheating. If you don't have room in the freezer, you can keep the crust refrigerated.
- Move your oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In the mean time, peel and cut the apples into ⅛” thick slices. You'll want to use similar size apples to get uniform slices. This will help with the presentation of the tart.
- When the oven is ready, take the crust out of the freezer. Prick the bottom and side using a fork to create steam vents. Add the almond paste and lightly spread and press it to the bottom of the crust so it covers the entire surface evenly.
- Arrange the apple slices on top of the almond paste in concentric circles, in one layer, overlapping each piece as you go. Brush some melted butter all over the apples. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. If your oven runs a bit hotter, you may need to decrease baking time or tent the tart with a piece of foil to prevent the top from burning.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- Spread or roll the almond paste - homemade almond paste is softer and easier to spread than store bought one. However, if you made the almond paste ahead of time and it's been in the fridge for a few days, it may be harder to spread. You can roll it out into a circle between a piece of parchment paper and the plastic wrap like I did in this almond rugelach recipe.
- How much almond paste to use - my homemade almond paste recipe yields about 7 ounces or 198 grams. Store bought almond paste or marzipan also comes in a 7-oz package.
- Use jam to brush the apples - a reader recommended using apricot jam to brush the apple layer to better protect the apples from over-drying during baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 99g | Calories: 263kcal
