Q1: Why is my pie crust tough?

The most common culprits are overworking the dough or not using cold enough ingredients. Be sure to stop pulsing your dough as soon as it comes together, and make sure your butter and water are ice cold!

Q2: Can I use a different kind of apple?

Yes! If you can't find Granny Smith, other fantastic firm, tart baking apples that will hold their shape include Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Jonagold.

Q3: Can I make this without a food processor?

Of course! This is the classic, old-fashioned method. Simply use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the cold butter into your flour mixture until you have the same, pea-sized pieces.

Q4: Can I make this non-alcoholic?

Yes, absolutely! To make the glaze non-alcoholic, you can simply substitute the 2 tablespoons of Calvados with an equal amount of water or apple juice.

Q5: What do I serve this with?

This elegant tart is absolutely magnificent on its own, but it is also fantastic served with a dollop of crème fraîche, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or a simple, unsweetened whipped cream.

Classic French Apple Tart (An Easy Pâtisserie Recipe!)

A classic and elegant recipe for a French Apple Tart. This dessert features a from-scratch, all-butter pastry dough (pâte brisée) that is quickly made in a food processor. The dough is rolled into a rectangle and topped with beautifully arranged, overlapping slices of Granny Smith apples. The apples are sprinkled with sugar and dotted with butter before being baked until the pastry is golden and the apple edges are caramelized. The finished tart is brushed with a simple, shiny apricot glaze for a professional, bakery-quality finish.

Author: Evelyn

Ingredients

For the Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
For the Apples and Glaze:
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Instructions

Make the Pastry: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and sugar to combine. Add the cold, diced butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Do not over-process.
Dump the dough onto a floured board, form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Assemble the Tart: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface into a rectangle slightly larger than 10×14 inches. Trim the edges and place the dough on the prepared sheet pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Peel, core, and cut the apples in half. Slice the apples crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Arrange the apple slices in overlapping, diagonal rows to cover the pastry.
Sprinkle the apples with the 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the pieces of cold butter.
Bake and Glaze: Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking.
While the tart is baking, heat the apricot jelly and Calvados (or rum/water) in a small saucepan until melted and combined.
As soon as the tart comes out of the oven, brush the apples and pastry completely with the warm apricot glaze.
Let the tart cool on the pan before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.

Notes

This is a classic French bakery-style tart, perfect for a special occasion or holiday dessert.
Using very cold butter and ice water is the most crucial step for creating a flaky pastry crust.
Refrigerating the dough after rolling it onto the pan helps to prevent shrinkage during baking.
The apricot glaze is a key finishing step that gives the tart its beautiful, professional-looking shine.

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/classic-french-apple-tart/