Mamilor's Apple Tart

With a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers in front of me, I've been inspired to share a dessert that was a big hit at our London Thanksgiving Feast - and added a bit of French flair to our meal.  This is a great one to do with kids too as it's easy to prepare!

I hope I don’t get in trouble for giving away all of the family secrets here, but this easy Apple Tart has been copied from my French mother-in-law’s sacred yellow binder of family recipes, tucked away in a large armoir at the family home in Brittany, and it’s a gem! This can be a quick dessert for the family or even an impressive end to your fancy dinner party – it’s all in how you lay out the apple slices!

The secret ingredient here is your store-bought puff pastry. In London or anywhere in France, I use “Marie, pur beurre pate feulleté” found in the Ocado French Shop or any French grocery store. In the US, I have used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets, and they work well too. Be sure to get the “sheets”, why create more work for yourself? I always keep a few of these in my freezer for meals in a pinch, they just need an hour or so to defrost on your countertop.

So without further adieu, here's how to make apple tart the easy way...

Ingredients:

• Ready made puff pastry sheets
• 4 apples – I love Pink Lady, but any apple will do
• 60g unsalted butter
• 60g sugar 

Pre-heat oven to 180C/355F - I use the fan/tart setting on my oven.

Peel, core and slice your apples. I tend to go towards the thinner side as I think it sits better on the tart..

In a large microwave safe bowl, add in your butter and sugar, and zap in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds until melted.

Stir in the apples so they’re coated with the sweet-buttery goodness. Set aside.

Unroll your pastry sheet – and bonus, it comes on it's own baking paper, so don’t remove it!  Just lay flat on a baking sheet. 

Score a “crust line” using a sharp knife, and then poke some random dots around the center of your pastry. This will keep your puff pastry from “puffing” too much in the center.  (A fun job for little hands)

Pour the apple mixture on the sheet, keeping them inside the scored line, and move them around a bit with your hands so it looks more or less evenly distributed in the middle. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and your apples are slightly caramelized.

Again, if this is meant to be a fancy dessert, you can take the time to fan out your apples and look like a Michelin Starred chef!

Bon Appetit!