Derived from the French Apple Tart in Ina Garten’s Back to Basics cookbook, this version has a little less sugar and butter and the most delicious gluten-free crust.
Ingredients
- CRUST INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups white rice flour, plus more for rolling
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice cold water
- APPLE FILLING INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium-large Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, small dice
- ½ cup apricot jam
- 2 tablespoons water
- Special equipment: a smooth, glass drinking cup
Directions
To make the crust, combine the white rice flour, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse to blend. Add the cold butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. With the motor running, slowly pour in the ice water. Add a small sprinkle of white rice flour into a large bowl. Pour flour mixture into the bowl. Knead it well with your hands to bring the dough together. Form into a ball and then a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, making sure it covers the sides of the pan. Place the dough in the middle of the parchment paper. Start spreading the dough out by pressing down with your hands.
Use a smooth drinking glass to roll out the dough to a little larger than 10 by 14 inches (use the glass because it fits in the baking sheet and a rolling pin does not). If the glass begins to stick, rub a little white rice flour on it. Trim the edges of the crust with a sharp knife and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you prepare the apples.
Peel the apples and cut them in half. Remove the seeds with a melon baller and the core with a small knife. Cut the apples into ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange apple slices on the crust in diagonal rows, overlapping just slightly. Cover the entire pastry dough with apple slices.
Sprinkle the top evenly with the sugar and scatter the 3 tablespoons of diced butter evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the pastry is browned and the apples appear soft. About halfway through baking, rotate the pan. The apple juices and sugar may spill over a bit and burn. Don’t worry. The tart will be just fine.
When the tart is done, heat the jam and water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together to form a smooth glaze. Brush the glaze on top of the warm tart. Cut into slices and use a spatula to transfer each piece to a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Make-ahead tip: You can make this the day before your party and use it for a rustic centerpiece on your table. You can also make the dough up to 2 days in advance.
Nutrition Analysis: 510 cal, 22 g fat, 55 mg chol, 85 mg sodium, 77 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 36 g sugar, 3 g protein.
Lauren Marie writes the popular gluten-free food blog LaurenMarieGlutenFree.com.
