Photo: C. Worthington

By Carolyn Worthington

Finally, fall weather seems to be here for much of the country. After a last minute gasp of summer, the slightly chilly nights are here. Leaves are beginning to fall in the northeast.

Football games are everywhere and almost every night now! The apple harvest is hitting the stores and if you are lucky you can pick your own or go to a farm stand to grab the freshest ones.

One of my favorite apple recipes to make this time of year and to kick off the season is an apple tart. I learned to make this when I studied cooking in France. We didn’t have a food processor to make the crust, mind you, but I have adapted the flaky crust that I used to make by hand. It’s almost as good and is my go-to crust that I make all the way through Thanksgiving prep when I make four pies.

Here is the recipe. It’s really easy to make and your friends and family will love it to say nothing of applaud your skillfulness. I use a 9″ tart ring that I brought back from France, baking the tart on a cookie sheet and then sliding it off onto a plate. Or, you can use a tart pan with a removable bottom which you can find at places like Williams Sonoma.

Enjoy!

Sunday Football Apple Tart

Makes One 9″ Tart

Pie Crust Made in Food Processor:

1 1/3 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

Pie Filling:

1 can (8 oz.) almond paste
4 or 5 apples, peeled, cored
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Glaze:

6 tablespoons honey or apricot jam
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in food processor base. Pulse 20 times or until mixture resembles small pebbles. Do not over mix. Add ice water with motor running and mix only until a ball is formed.

Roll dough out between two sheets of wax paper sprinkled lightly with flour to fit 9″ round tart pan or pie plate. Crimp edges.

Roll out almond paste to fit 9″ pan. Gently place the round in the pie crust and refrigerate while you cut the apples.

Cut the apples into uniform, 1/4″ slices. Layer the slices in a circular pattern over the almond paste in the pie crust.

Bake the pie for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until pastry is brown. Cool.

Heat the honey or jam with the water while stirring. When it has thinned, brush over the apples for a shiny finish. Serve as is or with a scoop of ice cream.