As simple as it is beautiful and delicious, this French Apple Tart will turn heads at any table. Easy to make. Gluten free and optional dairy free. Instructions for an Apple Rose included.
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A French Apple Tart (Tarte aux Pommes)… beautiful and delicious
THIS is a dessert of beauty and at the same time, utter flavour simplicity. A classic French Apple Tart (or Tarte aux Pommes), showcasing the humble apple in all of its glory. It’s a serious head-turner as a Rose Apple Tart. But the recipe also has the flexibility to be equally delicious thrown together as a rustic pie.
And for you (lovely people), I’ve added a perfectly crisp gluten free shortcrust pastry (which is optional dairy free too) so that we never have to miss out. Ever! Because I for one, never want to see an Apple Tart this tempting brought to a table where I can’t eat it…
Making an Apple Rose Tart is really easy
For anyone who thinks patisserie this beautiful is tricky, stop that thought right there. It’s way easier than it looks. I promise. And in this post, I’ll (hopefully) give you the confidence to make one too. Because one thing’s for sure, if you love apples and beautiful pastries, then you NEED to make this Apple Rose Tart.
What’s in my French Apple Tart?
Although recipes for French Apple Tart vary, the version I have shared here specifically places the apple at its heart. Sure, there are variations from which this recipe can be adapted. But I wanted to create something that would essentially place the apple on the pedestal it deserves. So what’s in my ‘Tarte aux Pommes’?
Shortcrust Pastry
French Apple Tart needs a crisp shortcrust pastry case at its base. For that, you need a good recipe. And if you’re gluten free, I have you covered. My ‘go to’ Gluten Free Shortcrust Pastry recipe is superb and if you click this link, includes a super-helpful step-by-step guide for anyone less experienced. But why choose that recipe over the others? Well…
- It’s never let me down and is easy to make.
- It’s pliable and easy to work.
- The dough doesn’t need to be chilled for hours between making and rolling.
- If you don’t get the dough in the tart tin first time, it’s happy to be re-rolled or ‘patched up’ without becoming brittle.
- It bakes to a robust crispness that rivals the best wheat-based shortcrust pastry. (ie. No one will EVER know it’s gluten free).
- The texture also offers a gentle flakiness that adds lightness.
- If you make it with my recommended rice-free flour blend B (which is at the bottom of my What is Gluten Free Flour? page), there will be no ‘tell-tale’ gluten free grittiness. (Although you can still make the recipe with your usual gluten free flour blend if you prefer).
- It can be sweetened with sugar or not as you prefer. (I very lightly sweetened it for this pie, because apples are by nature a little ‘tart’).
- And… It can be made dairy free if you need or want it that way.
To make it easy for you, I’ve included my recipe for gluten free shortcrust pastry at the bottom of the post. However, if you’re not gluten free, go ahead and use your usual standard recipe.
Apple Compote Filling
While some French Apple Tarts add either an almond frangipane or custard layer in the pastry case, I have opted for a simple Apple Compote. This is made on the hob in a saucepan from just 4 key ingredients (+ a drop of water to set the apple steaming). You’ll need some:
- Cooking apples (I use Bramley) that are peeled and cored
- A little sugar (I use golden caster sugar) to sweeten the tart apples
- Butter (or a dairy free alternative) – to enrich
- Cinnamon – because it’s the perfect spice for pairing with apples
To make the compote, pop all the ingredients in a saucepan on the hob… Then cook them, stirring occasionally, until the apples disintegrate.
If you prefer the idea of a Frangipane filling, sub the apple compote for Frangipane batter using my recipe for Pear Frangipane Tart.
French Apple Tart topping (‘rose’ or not)
Again, the topping for your French Apple (Rose) Tart is easy to prepare. It’s just apples that have been macerated (ie softened) in a little sweetened lemon juice, so that they become easier to shape in the tart. Macerating also ensures they cook quick and soft (even with the skins left on). You’ll need:
- 4 to 5 eating apples. For the two-coloured rose design shared in the photos, I used a combination of bright green and bright red apples. The variety isn’t important as long as they are of the less-sharp eating variety and are crisp and firm.
- White caster sugar (superfine sugar) – it needs to be white to ensure the apples shine!
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Lemon juice (either fresh or from a bottle) (or if you prefer, a drop of brandy or amaretto)
Glaze to make your French Apple Tart shine
The glaze used to finish my French Apple Tart and to make it shine is straightforward. A simple mix of soft light brown sugar (for its caramel overtones) and a drop of liquid left from maceration (or water)… Warmed and dissolved, before brushing across the surface.
Macerating the Apples for a French Apple Rose Tart
Maceration is a process that helps to soften the apples, by drawing out the natural juices. The fruit can be macerated in lemon juice, wine or spirits… Macerating apple slices to make a French Apple Tart is important for a couple of reasons:
- It softens the fruit so that it’s more pliable to bend and shape (particularly important if making a ‘fancy’ Apple Rose Tart).
- Once the fruit is softened, it then cooks more quickly.
- Macerating the fruit in an acidic liquid such as lemon juice ensures that it retains its bright colour and doesn’t go brown.
Although you can macerate apples (once sliced) in as little as 20 to 30 minutes, the longer you leave them, the softer they will be. And softer apples will make creating apple designs extra easy.
For the best result, macerate the apples for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Skin or no skin when making French Apple Tart?
Whether you peel the apples before slicing or not, is up to you. It’s a matter of textural preference. But if you want to create a beautiful red/green design in your French Apple Tart, leaving the skin on will add both colour and shine.
How to slice apples for a French Apple Tart…
A lot of recipes suggest using a mandolin to get the apples thin and even. And sure, if you have one, go ahead. But I didn’t bother…
If you have a steady hand and a sharp knife, you can cut the apples into slices which are perfectly thin enough… And once they’ve been macerated, they will still be pliable to shape. But what’s the easiest way to cut an apple so that you have the best control?
This method is a bit of a game-changer for offering consistency and steadiness…
- First, stand the apple stalk side up and cut across two opposite sides straight and close to the core. Next, cut the two remaining sides, to leave a square-shaped middle (see the diagram 1 below). Discard the core.
- Next, take each of the 4 pieces of apple and lay them on their flat ‘base’ side with the curved apple skin pointing upwards.
- Use a very sharp knife and cut ‘on the curve’ into even, thin slices about 2mm thick (see diagram 2). To avoid too much bruising to the apple flesh, use a non-serrated knife and pop the cut slices as quickly as possible into the maceration liquid.
Arranging apple slices for your French Apple Tart
Decide on your apple design for your French Apple Tart ahead of time… It doesn’t have to be an apple rose. There are lots of ways to lay the apples… from flat overlapping spirals… to random scatterings.
When ready, drain the apples well (saving the maceration liquid to use for the glaze and to drink!). Then, set them in the tart case, nestled on the apple compote (or frangipane), before baking.
How to make an apple rose design
- Use apple pieces of a consistent size for each circular row of the ‘rose’, starting with wider pieces at the outer edge.
- If using two colours of apple, alternate one row green and one row red.
- Starting at the outer edge of the tart case, set a row of apples (gently overlapping each piece) around the perimeter of the pastry. Stand the apple pieces more or less vertically, gently pressing into the apple compote in the tart base for anchoring.
- Follow this with a second circular, overlapping row and so on, circling inwards towards the centre of the tart. Try to keep the height of the apple tops as even as possible.
- At the centre of the rose, choose a nice (small but pliable) slice of apple and bend it right around itself to plug the final hole.
Is this French Apple Tart safe for people with Coeliac (Celiac) Disease?
Yes. If it’s made with a gluten free pastry case, then my French Apple Tart recipe is completely safe for people with Coeliac Disease (Celiac). There are no other gluten-containing ingredients.
Can I make the recipe dairy free as well as gluten free?
Yes again! Simply sub the dairy butter with a dairy free alternative. I recommend using a block ‘butter’ alternative such as Flora or Stork baking block and a block vegetable fat (such as Trex) for the pastry, as it needs to be ‘rubbed in’ to the flour.
If you use a vegan pastry recipe, the tart is also naturally Vegan.
Storing your apple tart
French Apple Tart can be kept for 2 to 3 days at room temperature (covered with clingfilm or in an airtight container).
Or… You can pop it in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
French Apple Tart is not particularly suitable for freezing.
How to serve ‘Tart aux Pommes’
Apple tart can be served hot or cold. Because it is more ‘patisserie’ than ‘pie’, I personally prefer it cold.
Serve with cream, custard or ice cream or simply enjoy it as it is.
Ready to make my French Apple Tart Recipe?
And that’s it! I hope all that ‘babble’ helps you to make the best French Apple Tart. The recipe is just below (scroll another inch or two).
If you make it, do let me know… Leave a comment, rate the recipe and (especially if you have photos of your scrumptious tart), tag me on social media… (@glutenfreealchemist) – Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
If you fancy trying some of my other dessert tart and pastry recipes, we have a dedicated Gluten Free Sweet Pastry Index. From Tarte aux Framboise to Crème Brûlée Tart and Chocolate Mousse Tart… We even have Easy Puff Pastry Baskets (Vol-au-Vents) and Eclairs with Rhubarb Cream and White Chocolate… There are loads of fabulous pastries to make at home.
For everything else, our huge Gluten Free Recipe Index is the place to start… There are literally hundreds of tried and tested gluten free recipes, just waiting for you to explore.
All shared with my love
More delicious Gluten Free Dessert Pastry Recipes you can make…
French Apple Tart (Tarte aux Pommes)
Key equipment
- 8 to 9 inch tart loose-bottomed tart tin
- fridge
- oven + hob
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- sieve/colander
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry Case
- 320 g shortcrust pastry (optional sweetened) approx weight – gluten free/dairy free as required See NOTES for recipe link
Apple Compote Filling
- 900 g cooking apples (eg Bramley) approx. weight – Peeled, cored and cut into cubes
- 50 g (golden) caster sugar (or to taste)
- 1½ tbsp water
- 20 g butter or dairy free alternative
- 1 to 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
Apple Slice Topping (and maceration)
- 4 to 5 firm fresh eating apples (inc 2 red and 2 green for variable colour) – approx number, dependent on apple size
- 50 g white caster sugar superfine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice fresh or bottled
Glaze
- 1¼ tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp reserved juice from the maceration process or water
Instructions
Shortcrust Pastry Case (can be made ahead of time)
- Make the shortcrust pastry dough as per pastry instructions – see separate gluten free recipe linked.
- Carefully roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface to a size just larger than required to fit the pie tin (enough to line the base and the sides).
- Using the rolling pin for support, gently lift the pastry over the tart tin and then carefully ease the pastry loosely into the tin with flat fingers.
- Using either fingers or a smallish ball of pastry dough (off-cut), gently lift and smooth the pastry dough so that it fits snuggly in the tin.
- Trim the top of the pastry at the tin edge and place in the fridge to firm-up for about half an hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Prick the base of the pastry dough with a fork.
- Line the chilled, raw pastry case with baking paper (screw into a ball and then unfurl before lining to help fit the tin easily) and baking beans.
- Blind-bake by cooking for 10 minutes with baking beans, before removing the beans and paper and baking for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until the pastry is golden and dry.
- Remove the pastry case from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
Apple Compote method (can be made ahead of time)
- Peel, core and roughly chop the apples for the compote filling.
- Place the apple in a medium saucepan with the caster sugar, water, butter and cinnamon.
- Set on the hob over a low to medium heat and gradually bring to a simmer, stirring frequently (until the apples start to release their juice and the sugar has dissolved).
- Continue to gently simmer over a LOW heat for a further 15 to 20 minutes (stirring intermittently), until the apples have disintegrated into a pulp (press them against the sides of the pan to break them down as helpful).
- Taste and sweeten with a little more sugar, if necessary (stirring until dissolved).
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
Sliced Apple Preparation method
- Prepare the liquid for macerating the apples in a medium-sized bowl by mixing together the white caster sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice.
- Whether you peel the apples or not before slicing is a matter of textural preference. But if you want to create a colourful design, leaving the skin on will add both colour and shine
- Take each apple for the topping (standing them stalk side up) and cut straight across 2 opposite sides, followed by the remaining two (smaller) sides, to leave a square-shaped core. Discard the cores.
- Take each of the cut pieces of apple and lay them on their flat base, so that the curved apple skin is pointing upwards.
- Using a very sharp knife, evenly cut each piece into thin slices that are curved in shape. Transfer them to the 'maceration' bowl as quickly as possible and coat with the liquid.
- Toss the apple slices in the sugar-lemon juice and allow to macerate for at least 30 minutes, turning them over occasionally to re-coat in juice. (NOTE: the longer they are left, the softer and more pliable the apple slices will be. Leave overnight in the fridge for best pliability)
- Once macerated, drain the apple slices from the juice using a colander (reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice for the glaze and save the rest for smoothies, etc).
Layering and Baking the Apple Tart
- When ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas 3.
- Spoon a thick layer of cooled apple compote into the base of the tart case and spread evenly across the bottom.
- Lay the sliced, drained apples on top of the compote in your desired design, skin-side up (if unpeeled) for colour. (For a rose, place the slices almost vertically in the tart, overlapping them in a circular pattern, spiralling inward towards the centre (alternating rows for red-green if using different coloured apples). Choose apple slices for each row that are even in size, starting with the wider slices for the outer rows and gradually reducing the slice width towards the centre. Try to keep the height of the slices even for best effect.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Keep a close eye on the tart and if the apples start to brown and ‘catch’, cover the tart or turn the oven down a notch.
- Remove from the oven when baked.
- Prepare the glaze by mixing 1¼ tablespoons soft light brown sugar with 2 tablespoons reserved juice from the maceration process.
- Heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar, either in a very small saucepan or in a microwave.
- While the tart is still warm, use a pastry brush to brush the top of the tart with glaze.
- Serve warm or cold as it is, or with custard, cream or ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Basic Gluten Free Shortcrust Pastry
Key equipment
- large bowl
- small bowl
- fork
- flat table knife
- pastry blender optional
Ingredients
- 220 g Gluten Free Rice Free Flour blend GFA Blend B – See NOTES
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp fine sea salt (for savoury pastry) OR 1 tbsp icing sugar (for sweet pastry)
- 55 g unsalted butter cold and very small-cubed (or dairy free block alternative)
- 55 g lard/Trex cold and very small-cubed
- 1 large egg UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
- 2 tbsp very cold water (up to 2½ if more needed)
Instructions
- Weigh the flours, xanthan gum and salt (or sugar) into a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined.
- Add the butter and lard/Trex (both cut into very small cubes) to the bowl.
- Chill the bowl with the ingredients for about half hour, before rubbing the fat the into the flour mixture using finger tips or a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (See Main BLOG POST for tips).
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp of very cold water and then pour into the crumb mixture.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the crumb mixture using a table knife until it begins to clump together.
- At this stage, set the dough aside (at room temperature unless in a very warm room/climate, in which case, refrigerate) to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This will enable the dough to fully absorb the liquid.
- Once 'rested', start to bring the dough together with hands. If the dough feels very dry, add a little more very cold water (a tiny bit at a time) and work it into the dough with the knife. If it feels very sticky, add a tiny sprinkle more flour and work through with hands.
- Bring the mixture together and press into a ball.
- If not using immediately, wrap and refrigerate. And when ready to use, take from the fridge, bring to room temperature and knead very lightly to enable it to become 'rollable'.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
French Apple Tart shared with
- Cook Blog Share
- Fiesta Friday #457 with Angie
- What’s For Dinner #392 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Full Plate Thursday #613 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Your beautiful tart is featured at this week’s party. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party.
Thank you so much Helen. That’s very kind of you xx
Have a great week xx