TWD: French Apple Tart

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie featured a recipe that I had very much been looking forward to making.  A dessert tart, especially an apple flavored one, seems like such a classic staple French dessert and so very Julia Child-esque that I could not think of a more appropriate recipe to make in honor of the late culinary legend.  Paul was especially excited for this particular recipe because apple pie is one of his favorite indulgences and he was literally hovering over me as I worked away, eating pieces of raw dough and slices of apple. I may or may not have banished him from the kitchen by threatening that he would not get to sample a single slice if he did not leave me alone.

Although this recipe consisted of multiple components - the tart dough, the apple filling, and the apple topping - none of it was very difficult to throw together individually and the recipe could definitely be spread out over a 2-3 day period in order to simplify things. The filling tasted heavenly on its own and the unbaked tart looked so pretty that I had to snap a few shots of it before placing it in the oven for the final bake.

I did not quite achieve the blackened edges of apple that Dorie spoke so highly of on the final tart, but I still think this was one of the pretties desserts I have ever made. The taste was even better. Beautifully simple, this is the type of homey dessert that just about everyone will enjoy. I liked it with a bit of ice cream on the side, but Paul preferred to inhale half the tart unadorned while standing at the kitchen counter with a fork. He was very cross when I took the uneaten half of the tart away from his sticky fingers, wrapped it tightly in saran wrap, and firmly instructed him to share with his friends at work. Paul later claimed that he set the tart down in the break room at 7:30 a.m and by the time he returned for a cup of coffee at 8:05 a.m. the entire thing was gone. The tart was enjoyed by all!

I had these two little spies watching me the entire time I was trying to photograph this dessert. I think the cat even wanted a piece...

This will definitely be a dessert I make again - so elegant, pretty, and relatively simple. If you would like to give this recipe a go, our host Gaye has the recipe up on her blog.