When the colder weather hits, few things are as delicious as the combination of apples, sugar and spice. It’s the ideal pairing of tart and sweet, as well as a great use for leftover apples once harvest comes to an end.
While a traditional apple pie is a delicious way to utilize apples, we’re taking the age-old classic and flipping it on its head. A beautiful, rustic apple tart can be put together in a few steps, and with that, you get a buttery, flaky crust, piled high with incredibly flavorful apples, without even having to pull out a pie pan.
Made with Clara’s Reserve from Merchant’s Daughter Hard Cider, this rustic apple tart is wonderfully balanced. The cider brings notes of ginger and butterscotch to the table, with a smooth finish. Cooking the apples in the cider brings an even stronger depth of apple flavor to this dessert, paired with a subtle creaminess and plenty of spice. Bake it, slice it and pair this simple sweet with a glass of cider for a comforting treat.
Rustic Apple Tart with Merchant’s Daughter Hard Cider
Makes 6-8 slices
Ingredients
For the dough:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large red apples
1 cup Merchant’s Daughter Clara’s Reserve cider
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg yolk
Directions
To make the dough, add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor. Add in cubed butter, and pulse until fine crumbs form.
Transfer the flour and butter mixture to a bowl, and mix in the cold water with a fork. Mix until a soft dough begins to form.
Remove the dough from the bowl, and form a ball using your hands. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Once your dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
To make the filling, dice the apples into small chunks, with the skins left on. Put a pot on the stove, and add in the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and cider.
Boil on high for 5 minutes to cook the apples in the liquid.
Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the prepared dough on a well-floured surface. The dough should be 1/4 inch thick. Once rolled out, transfer the dough to a cookie sheet prepared with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Brush the rolled-out dough with the liquid from the apples. Then, spoon all of the apples into the center of the dough and discard any excess liquid.
Fold in the sides of the dough over the apples, leaving open space on top. Mix together egg yolk and one tablespoon cider, and brush the top of the dough before putting the tart in the oven. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until light golden brown.
