This beautiful tart has a crisp, sweet shortcrust pastry, a layer of almond cream and juicy apples on top. Some components can be made in advance, so if you have them ready, the tart is out of the oven in 45 minutes! I use a regular tart pan, but square or rectangular ones also work.
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Apples, almonds and a sweet crust
If you add a French apple tart with almonds to the already great attributes of Fall, it grows exponentially.
This apple recipe is a sibling to the extraordinary French pear tart. It has the same sweet crust, frangipane and a more significant amount of fruit that softens but remains crunchy.
It's nothing like traditional apple pie: it's thinner and more sophisticated with a very different taste.
Some might say more in line with the apricot and raspberry tart, but then again, fruits from different seasons completely change a dessert, and it's notorious, even if the rest of the components stay the same. Details that change the final result.
If you make the tart dough and almond cream ahead of time, it can be a quick (and stunning!) dessert .
3 different components
- Apples: I like tart apples, as the crust and almond filling are sweet enough. They can be peeled or not, that's up to you. Without the skin, they bake softer.
- Tart dough: we use the French pate sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry), which is crisp and sweet, different from traditional American pie crust.
- Almond cream: also known as frangipane filling, it's a fantastic and easy-to-make filling that can be prepared in advance.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Watch our step-by-step videos
The apples
This dessert is amazing with everyday Granny Smith or red tart ones like McIntosh or Braeburn. They are delicious and juicy and perfect when in season.
For this tart, I used a mix of Honeycrisp and McIntosh apples.
Should you peel the apples? it's up to you. I leave the skin on and cut them into thin slices. The skin turns golden but adds crunch, adding another texture to the tart. But that is optional. Peel them if that's your preference. They will soften faster.
Blind baking the crust
Blind baking is pre-baking the dough with weight on top. It is called blind because the raw pie dough is completely covered with paper (aluminum foil or parchment paper).
Why is this step recommended?
- To prevent a soggy crust: some fillings tend to seep into the unbaked dough while baking, so this step ensures that the dough develops a dry layer before the tart is filled and is not soggy after it is baked.
- To keep the shape: if left to chance without refrigerating, pricking, and blind baking, the pie dough will puff and shrink as it bakes. We don't want that. We want it to keep its shape and have enough space for the filling.
For more details, click for step-by-step photos of blind baking.
Assembling the apple tart
Type of pan: you need a tart pan with a removable bottom. Besides that, it can be round, rectangular, or square. Choose your favorite.
Tart crust
We use the French pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry). This sweet dough is snappier and less flaky than traditional American pie crusts.
You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate or freeze it. The same goes for the lined pan before blind-baking the crust.
It can be pre-baked a few hours before assembling it.
Frangipane
A layer of this almond filling is spread on the pre-baked sweet crust. It can be made up to a week ahead and kept refrigerated.
I wrote an individual post about almond cream because it deserves it.
Apples
The apple slices are then arranged over the almond cream.
How many? That depends on your preference. Here, we like a lot of apples with some crunch, so I leave the skin and pack them into the crust.
If you like softer apples for your filling, you can peel them and use less.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Balance the amount of almond cream filling you use so it doesn't overpower the apple flavor and be too sweet. Whatever way you arrange the fruit slices is fine. The tart will taste amazing, no matter the pattern.
Baking
How do you know when it's done? When the crust is golden brown, and the apples are as soft as you want them.
The almond filling will puff in the oven and add a wonderful buttery flavor.
The result is golden and juicy.
Serving
Add a light dusting of powdered sugar. It's optional, but looks good. Be careful with the amount, or it'll add too much sweetness.
Variations
- Fruit: Pears work great, as do plums, apricots and cherries.
- Nuts: if you're feeling festive, use some pistachios or hazelnuts instead of almonds in the cream.
- Flavorings: use a dash of ground nutmeg, cardamom, or drops of vanilla extract in the filling for another layer of flavor.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Baking apples: choose your favorite and remember tart ones work best.
- Crust: I am a big fan of this Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, but most sweet pie crusts will work as long as they're on the sweet side. Make sure the crust is blind-baked first.
- Frangipane: use a nice layer as apples are tart and it's a very sweet mixture. The ratio of almond cream and fruit is important. If using sweet baking apples, consider a thinner layer.
- Storing: it can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for a day or in the fridge for several days, but the apples will lose their shine and dry out a bit. You can brush a very thin layer of apricot jam on top before serving. I don't suggest freezing it after baking.
- Freezing: you can freeze the frangipane and the sweet tart dough (already in the pan before pre-baking it).
- Serving: this tart is amazing served warm with ice cream on top. A dusting of powdered sugar is pretty when you serve it right after it's made.
Related recipes you might like:
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Apple Frangipane Tart (with almond cream)
Ingredients
Almond cream:
- ½ cup whole almonds, or almond flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract, for more almond flavor
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
To assemble:
- 3 to 4 baking apples
- 2 tablespoons almonds, sliced or slivered
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, to serve
Instructions
For the tart crust:
- Have ready a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Or use a rectangular or square tart pan with removable bottoms.
- Prepare 1 Sweet Shortcrust Pastry as instructed in the recipe, roll, line the pan and blind-bake it (steps 1 to 17).
For the almond cream:
- In the food processor (using whole almonds): process ½ cup whole almonds, and ⅓ cup sugar until almonds are in coarse pieces.
- Scatter ¼ cup unsalted butter, in pieces and 1 egg white. Process until it all becomes a cream.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, if using, and process *just* to mix.
- By hand (using almond flour): combine ½ cup almond flour and ⅓ cup sugar.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, and 1 egg white, and whisk energetically until well integrated and creamy.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, if using, and mix just until combined well.
- For both options: Transfer to an airtight container or bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for up to a month.
Assemble and bake the tart:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Cut 3 to 4 baking apples in half, core them, peel them if you want, and cut each half into thin slices.
- Spread the almond cream in the bottom of the crust with a spoon or offset spatula.
- Place the apple slices on top in a circle, rows or however you want to. You can slightly spread them out, overlap, or leave them together like I did. There's no right or wrong way.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the apples start to soften and release some juice, the almond cream is puffed, and the crust is golden.
- Tent with a piece of aluminum foil if the crust is browning too much.
- If sprinkling with 2 tablespoons almonds, sliced or slivered, do so mid-baking. If you add them from the start, they might burn before the tart is done.
- Let cool on a wire rack, remove from the pan onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, before serving.
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