Tarte Fine (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Leslie of Lethally Delicious: Tarte Fine. I loved baked apples.... apple pie, apple crumble, apple tarts,... you name it, I love it! So I was thrilled when I saw that Leslie had chosen this recipe!

I love how quick and easy this one is! Seriously... just thaw some store bought puff pastry and then throw some sliced apples on top and you're done! Well, there are a few more steps in between, but really, you can make this in no time! I've already made it twice in one week, and the lengthiest step involved is peeling and slicing the apples.

The first time I made this tarte, I made the full fat, super sweet version that Dorie talks about in the "Playing Around" section :) I added bits of butter, cinnamon, and sugar to the puff pastry before layering the sliced apples on top.  Then, I brushed melted butter and sprinkled more cinnamon and sugar on top! It was delicious.  The extra cinnamon (not sure why Dorie doesn't use any? maybe because the French don't?) is perfect in this recipe.  I am sure if you sift your cinnamon onto the apples (or mix it in a bowl with the sugar first) it looks much better, but I was in a rush and just sprinkled it on straight from the container, resulting in a more "rustic" looking tarte :)


The second time I made this tarte, I decided to cut back on the sugar and butter a little bit, but I still didn't make the healthiest option Dorie gives (in the original recipe).  I did not put any pieces of butter on the bottom layer, and I added much less sugar and melted butter on top (exact quantities noted below).  Honestly, the tarte still tasted just as great and I could not tell the difference... so, when I make this again (and I definitely will!), I will go with the middle-of-the road option.

Thanks Leslie, for hosting this week.  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this fall treat! As a reminder, if you'd like to meet Dorie during her current book tour, see if she will be visiting your city here.  If you'd like to join us at her cooking class here in Dallas on October 24th, sign up here.

* Recipe notes:
- If you are using Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, then no need to roll out the dough... it already comes premade in the perfect size for this tarte.  So just thaw it and then unfold it directly onto your baking sheet.
- Before arranging the apple layer on the puff pastry, I sprinkled 1 tablespoon of sugar as well as a generous sprinkling of cinnamon (sorry, I didn't measure it out, just eyeballed it) on top (I omitted the extra butter Dorie recommends in the Playing Around section the second time I made this and still loved it).
- Once the apples are layered on, brush the top with 2 tablespoons of melted butter (I found that 3-4 was way too much) and another 1.5-2 tablespoons of sugar.  Sprinkle with cinnamon again.  Alternatively, you could make a cinnamon and sugar mixture to sprinkle on top and your tart would look less "rustic" than mine did :)
- My tarte was done a few minutes early.  I definitely had to cover the edges with some foil to prevent it from burning, in order to get my apples lightly browned.

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