Classic Apple Tart with Bourbon-Rye Crust

A classic tart made with applesauce and thinly sliced apples fried with cinnamon, on top of a rye and bourbon sweet crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 8 Slices

Calories 306kcal

In a medium bowl, add both flours, sugar, and salt. Whisk until combined. Then add in the cubes of cold butter, and combine with a pastry blender, distributing and cutting the butter pieces until the whole thing has a coarse meal texture. Optionally, you can use a food processor to add in the butter, and pulse a few times until distributed.
Add in the egg and bourbon, and use floured hands to mix and knead the dough in the bowl until fully combined and no dry spots remain. Shape the dough into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you need to refrigerate it for longer (up to overnight), let it thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap, and place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into an 11-inch circle, and then transfer to the tart pan, shaping the dough into the corners. Trim any excess. Cover the pan with parchment paper touching the dough surface, and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the tart crust from the freezer, and remove the parchment. Cover the crust with foil, and add pie weights. Bake for 20 min.
Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Place the crust on a wire rack until cooled to room temperature.

In a large, high-sided saute pan, add the apple, butter, sugar, and spices. Cook on medium heat, stirring until the butter melted, and the apples begin to get coated in the spices.
Add the water and cover, cooking 3-4 min until apples are soft. Uncover and cook another 2-3 until the apples are coated and the syrup has thickened thickened. Let it cool 20 min, meanwhile preheat oven to 350.
Add the applesauce to the cooled tart crust, and spread into an even layer. Add the apple slices, arranged in a pattern on top of the applesauce.
Bake the tart for 15 min. Optionally, sprinkle the surface with confectioner's sugar and broil for an additional 5 minutes. This will create a nice glossy glaze, and brown the crust up. If you want the glaze without darkening the crust, cover the edges with foil before broiling.
Transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Then remove the outer rim of the pan, and transfer the tart to a plate. Cut into eight pieces. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Make ahead tips:
- You can prepare the crust and freeze it, unbaked for up to a month. Wrap it tightly in foil, and then bake directly from the freezer with pie weights, as explained above.
- You can prepare the entire tart and store it whole or sliced in the fridge for 3-4 days, in a sealed container. Warm individual pieces before serving.
If you don't have pie weights, you can use a similar sized pie or cake pan, weighed down with a heavy oven-safe dish, like a ceramic ramekin.
The spices in the apples are all optional, but add a ton of extra flavor. Feel free to use any combination of your favorites, or a pre-mixed apple pie or pumpkin pie spice instead.
The bourbon in the crust can be replaced with vanilla extract, for a sweeter, alcohol-free version.
If you have extra syrup from the apples, you can add it to the tart before or after baking. I liked the tart served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with the extra syrup drizzled on top.