This is our absolute favorite, no-fail sweet tart recipe. After you make this recipe a few times, you’ll find yourself returning to it again and again, substituting your favorite in-season fruits for the apples. Recipe adapted by Doug and Anne Brown from “Jacques Pepin’s Table.”
Ingredients
Tart Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons ice water
Apple topping:
2 of your favorite local apples (Jonagold, Granny Smith, Jonathan or Rome are best for baking)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
Place flour, sugar and butter for tart dough in bowl of a food processor, and process for about 5 seconds. Add water and process for about 10 seconds, until dough just begins to come together. Refrigerate dough while you prepare apples.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel, halve and core apples. Arrange them, cut side down, on a cutting board and cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside larger center slices, and chop end slices and any broken slices coarsely.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to create a circle. Transfer dough circle to a greased cookie sheet.
Arrange chopped apples on dough, spreading them out to within 1 inch of the edge. Arrange apple slices in one slightly overlapping layer on top of chopped apples, positioning them to imitate the petals of a flower.
In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture on top of sliced apples. Drizzle honey on top, and then dot apple filling with 1 tablespoon butter.
Fold edge of pastry over apples to create a border. If desired, brush top of pastry with milk and sprinkle sugar on top. This creates a lovely brown effect after pastry is cooked.
Bake tart 45-60 minutes or until pastry is brown and crisp and apples are tender. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.
Wine ideas: This is a terrific occasion to check out one of Colorado’s honey wines. Medovina makes several varieties (including a peach version that would be terrific with a peach or apricot tart) that have clean honey flavors without cloying sweetness; check them out at . —Tara Q. Thomas
