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Baking season is finally here, and we’ve been diving into sweet treats head first. No one can resist a fresh platter of fall cookies, and a hearty loaf of quick bread makes chilly mornings seem so much cozier. But no one has better fall recipes than Ina Garten. After all, who captures the comforting, homey vibes of autumn more than the Barefoot Contessa herself? So when we saw that she shared a recipe for French Apple Tarts on Instagram, from her book Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, we knew we had to try it, especially since it doesn’t call for rolling out two pie crusts.
One of the hardest parts of making an apple pie from scratch is rolling out the two circles of pie dough, and the stress of lifting up one of the rounds to cover the bottom crust and filling has taken more years off our life than we care to count. The crust flops, it tears, holes erupt, it sticks to the counter — it’s just not worth the stress. That’s why we love that with Ina Garten’s apple tart, you just need to roll out one rectangle of dough.
As for the filling, it’s even simpler than making apple pie filling. You’ll simply need to slice your apples thinly after they’re peeled and cored, then lay them out on the rolled out tart dough. Sprinkle with sugar, add a few pats of butter, and bake.
The tart bakes until the crust is golden brown and the apples have cooked down. The sugar and apple juices may caramelize around the edges of the tart crust, but trust us, this is a good thing — those areas are full of flavor.
The tart isn’t quite done yet. For a final flourish, Garten uses the classic and easy technique of brushing the whole baked tart with melted apricot jelly that’s been mixed with Calvados, a type of apple brandy. This step gives the tart a shiny, professional-looking sheen, and adds a bit of extra sweet flavor to boot.
Whether you’re serving this at Thanksgiving or for breakfast, you can’t go wrong making Ina Garten’s simple French apple tart recipe. There’s no fussy filling, no double crust ready to fall apart, and no soggy bottoms — just sweet-tart apples, buttery pastry, and a glassy apricot glaze.
Before you go, check out our gallery:
Watch: Ina Garten’s Spiced Apple Cider Recipe Is the Only Drink You’ll Need This Winter
