Apple Choosing and Apple Tart

we couldn't pick apples this year
mother nature had other plans for us

the frost bit the blossoms in the Spring
the apples fell early
the tree was bare

we had to choose
from a bin
or
from the ground

we went apple choosing
and still had fun

Apple pie has a rich history dating back to the late 14th century, with early recipes recorded in cookbooks of King Richard II’s time. One of the first written recipes for apple pie used a "coffin" pastry as a simple container, and sweeteners like sugar were often absent due to their rarity and high cost. Today, we enjoy apple pie in various forms, with tender, flaky crusts, and sweet apple fillings.

One variation of apple pie is the Apple Tart, made with a single bottom crust and topped with fresh apples. This recipe combines the classic flavors of apple pie with a unique twist for a delightful dessert. Whether you're celebrating fall or just love a classic apple treat, this Apple Tart is sure to become a family favorite.

According to Linda Stradley, on the website What's Cooking America, one of the first records of apple pie was in a cookbook originally compiled around 1390 A.D. by the master cooks of King Richard II. The following, according to historians, is one of the first recipes of what we know today as apple pie.

XXIII. For To Make Tartys in Applis
Tak gode Applys and gode Spryeis and Figys and reyfons and Perys and wan they are wel ybrayed co-lourd wyth Safron wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake well.

These early pies differed from pies today in that no sugar was used – for obvious reasons. Sugar was both scarce and expensive. Also, the pastry, referred to as a “coffin” in the ancient recipe, was considered simply a container, something not to be eaten.

It was said that the mark of a good “coffin” was if it could be run over by a wagon wheel without breaking!

Apple trees were brought to America from Europe. The only apple trees native to North America are varieties of crab apple trees. However, the acceptance of apples in American culture is demonstrated by the well-known slogan:

“As American as motherhood and apple pie.”

Today, the mark of a good apple pie is its tender, flaky crust and the shortest possible period of time between the picking of the apple and the baking of the pie. It has become a family tradition at our house to pick our own apples in the fall. At Thanksgiving this year, we made pies with apples that had been at the orchard as recently as the day before we made the pies.

Recipe: Apple Tart

An apple pie is often made with a double crust. This time we used only a bottom crust, making it an Apple Tart.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

Dough:
200 g flour (about 1½ cups)
100 g butter, unsalted, and broken into pieces (about 7 tablespoons)
70 g confectioners' sugar (about 1/3 cup)
5 g salt (about 1 teaspoon)
4 ml milk (about 1 teaspoon)
3 egg yolks
5 ml pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)

700 g apples (about 3 cups)

Compote:
500 g apples (about 2 cups)
50 g sugar, optional (3½ tablespoons)
50 g butter (3½ tablespoons)
cinnamon, to taste

Instructions:

For the dough:

1. Sift the flour onto your countertop and make a well in the center. Add butter, confectioners' sugar, salt, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract to the well.
2. Mix ingredients using your finger in a circular motion until a paste forms. Then, use a pastry scraper to break up the dough into a crumbly mixture.
3. Perform the "fraisage" technique by rubbing a small portion of dough through your palms to distribute the butter and flour without overworking the dough. Repeat this with the remaining dough.
4. Knead the dough into a ball and ensure a spring-back effect when pressed. If the dough is too dry, add a little water; if too wet, add flour.
5. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

For the filling:

1. Core, quarter, and slice the apples. In a pan, melt the butter and add the apples.
2. Add sugar (optional) and cook until the apples soften. Stir in vanilla extract and cook until the apples are tender, adding water if needed.
3. Pass the mixture through a food mill or use a food processor to puree into a compote.

Assembly and Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and line a tart pan or ring. Chill the dough while preparing the filling.
3. Spread the compote onto the bottom of the pastry. Arrange the remaining apple slices in a circular pattern on top.
4. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tart is golden and the apples are soft.

Tasting Notes
My 11-year-old loves to help make pie and she does it now with minimal supervision. We all love it when she gets into her pie-making mood. The only thing better than the taste of fresh apple pie is the anticipatory smell of it baking in the oven. This year, the pie came out just in time for the turkey to go in, and the lingering aroma of apple pie spices with a slow-roasting turkey – well, memories are made of this!

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