Easy Apple Recipes: Rustic Apple Tart

Last Updated on December 18, 2020 by

Every day after dinner I hear the same question from my family:  What's for dessert?  We all have a sweet tooth and since we eat healthy most of the time I don't mind indulging in dessert after a good meal.  I try hard to make sure my desserts aren't chock full of artificial flavors and colors.  I would rather serve homemade whipped cream loaded with fat than 'light' whipped topping that comes in a tub.  Apple season is just around the corner and having grown up in New England I have a particular fondness for desserts made with apples.  Tarts, pies, crisps, crumbles...you name it and I love it! There are dozens of easy apple recipes that you can make for dessert that your kids will love.  I figure if it has fruit in it I can call it healthy, right?

If you are looking for easy apple recipes, this Rustic Apple Tart will be perfect.  Just simmer everything in a pan for a bit and pour over a pie crust that you lay onto a cookie sheet.  You could make your own pie crust or buy one store bought, depending on how much time you have.  I prefer Granny Smith Apples for this tart since I think their tartness blends well with the sweet honey but you can use whatever you have on hand.  The other ingredients are flexible as well.  Just use whatever dried fruit and nuts you have in the pantry.I sprinkled the crust with an organic, unprocessed cane sugar which is already a bit tan so your crust may not be quite as brown as mine if you use regular white sugar.  This was a delicious end to our meal and loaded with fruit, nuts and nothing artificial at all!

Rustic Apple Tart

Yield: 6 to 8

Rustic Apple Tart

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A simple tart with a sweet apple filling

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• FOR FILLING
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 small apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅔ cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
• ¼ cup chopped dates
• ¼ cup raisins
• FOR THE CRUST
• 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• ⅓ cup ice water
• FOR EGG WASH
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• TO FINISH
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• TO SERVE:
• whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

2. To make filling:
3. Over medium low heat in a medium saute pan add butter and let melt. When bubbling, add the apples and let cook til almost tender. Add in remaining ingredients and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
4. To Make Crust:
5. In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, salt and butter. Process until mixture is crumbly. Add water, a little at a time and continue to process until mixture is well moistened. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat dough into a disk. Roll out the dough into a 16- to 17-inch round about ¼ inch thick.
6. TO ASSEMBLE:
7. Transfer the dough to a rimless cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place filling onto the crust, leaving 2 to 3 inches along the outer edge empty. Gently roll edges up to cover the filling, leaving the interior uncovered.
8. FOR THE WASH:
9. In a small bowl, beat egg with milk. Brush this mixture along edges of crust
10. TO FINISH:
11. Sprinkle crust with sugar
12. TO BAKE:
13. Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Bake tart for 15 minutes until crust just begins to turn brown. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake for 10 more minutes, or until crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool 45 minutes.
14. TO SERVE:
15. Cute into pieces and serve topped with whipped cream or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What easy apple recipes do you enjoy?

Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire  but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time.  You can learn more about her HERE.