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Thin Tarts: Delicious Recipes and Baking Tips

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Rustic apple tarts with flaky homemade crust and sweet, spiced filling. Perfect fall dessert!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup ice water, plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk or water
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
  2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips (work quickly), cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the ice water and apple cider vinegar. Gradually add the ice water mixture to the flour and butter mixture, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time, if needed, until the dough forms a shaggy mass.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently gather it into a ball. Divide the dough in half. Flatten each half into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Toss gently to coat the apples evenly.
  6. Dot the apple mixture with the small pieces of butter. Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples. Toss again to combine.
  7. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.
  8. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into a thin circle, about 12 inches in diameter.
  9. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter or a sharp knife, cut out circles from the rolled-out dough. Reroll the scraps to get as many circles as possible.
  10. Carefully transfer the dough circles to the preheated baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  11. Spoon the apple filling onto the center of each dough circle, leaving a small border around the edge.
  12. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pleating them as you go to create a rustic, free-form tart. Press the pleats lightly to seal them.
  13. (Optional) In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk or water. Brush the egg wash over the exposed dough of the tarts.
  14. (Optional) Sprinkle the tarts with granulated sugar.
  15. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
  16. Let the tarts cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Keep the Butter Cold: This is the most important tip for making a flaky crust.
  • Don’t Overmix the Dough: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which results in a tough crust.
  • Chill the Dough: Chilling the dough allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up.
  • Use a Variety of Apples: Using a mix of apple varieties will give the filling a more complex flavor.
  • Don’t Overfill the Tarts: Overfilling the tarts will cause the filling to spill out during baking.
  • Adjust Baking Time as Needed: The baking time may vary depending on your oven.
  • Serve the tarts warm or at room temperature.
  • Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
  • Dust with powdered sugar.
  • Serve with a cup of coffee or tea.

Find it online: https://mmmflavors.com/thin-tarts/