My mother has been making this apple tart since she was 12 years old. She can make it with her eyes closed. Up until this point I have just been a casual onlooker in the kitchen – sneaking bites of raw dough when no one was looking. Showing up to the table after it all magically came together. Letting each bite melt in my mouth without even contemplating how it was made – just thinking about how good it was. Pure, childlike bliss. Today I didn’t just show up to eat this lovely dessert. I learned how to make it. I took detailed notes, documented each step and even meticulously converted grams to cups for you.
My mother grew up near the border of Germany and France: Alsace-Lorraine. This tart has its roots there. A buttery apple and warm-on-the-tongue-rum dream pretty much sums it up. If you make one dish from my blog, make this one.
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Step 1
Combine ingredients for the dough in your mixing bowl. Use cold butter.
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Step 2
The dough should come together like shown above. Only if it’s crumbly, add a tablespoon of cold water. This time I didn’t need any water.
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Step 3
Reserve one third of the dough for the top.
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Step 4
On a flour dusted board, roll the dough for the top out in an even, thin layer. Mark the dough with your springform pan and cut away the excess. Return the scraps to the rest of the dough and chill the top circle.
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Step 5
Roll some dough out on the bottom of the springform pan. Attach the rim and shape the sides as shown. Chill while you cut apples.
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Step 6
Cut apples finely as shown above. Mix them together with the juice of half a lemon and slivered almonds. Place filling in crust.
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Step 7
Flip the board and ease the top onto the apple tart. You may use a knife to gently peel away the dough.
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Step 8
A slit in the center will allow excess steam to escape. Place on rack second from bottom. Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven on 375 F.
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Step 9
It’s done when the top is golden and the edges are light brown. Let cool in form – about 30 minutes.
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Step 10
Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with a hearty shot of dark rum. Mix well to make a semi-liquid glaze.
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Step 11
Drizzle the rum glaze to finish the tart.
Ingredients for the Crust
3 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 sticks butter
1 pack vanilla sugar (or one scraped vanilla bean)
Ingredients for the Filling
1/2 cup slivered almonds
8 cups chopped apples (about 7 medium sized apples)
juice of half a lemon
Ingredients for the Glaze
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 hearty shot of dark rum
Directions
Combine ingredients for crust in your stand mixer or food processor. Use cold butter. When the dough comes together to form a ball, it’s done. If the dough is still crumbly, add a tablespoon of water to bring it together. Divide dough as shown in the step pictures above. Butter a 12 inch springform pan. Roll out dough for a thin, even crust (about 1/4 inches thick). Place dough in springform pan and working with fingers make a crust about halfway up the pan. Chill while you cut up the apples. Toss finely cut apples with the juice of half a lemon and toss together with slivered almonds. Place filling in crust. Cover tart with top crust. Bake for 45 min on 375 F near bottom rack. To make the glaze combine 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 hearty shot of dark rum. Drizzle glaze over cooled tart.
Notes
A trick to get the tart out of the springform pan: Carefully slide a knife around the edges of the crust. Open clasp of springform to loosen bottom tray, then close springform back to hold only the tart and slide it on a cooling rack. Remove springform and let cool for about 30 minutes before you pour on the glaze.