This Tarte Fine aux Pommes – literally “Thin Apple Tart” – is a French bakery staple in the Fall. It features a thin puff-pastry crust with no raised borders, thin apple slices for topping and crisp caramelized edges. I love how it’s quickly put together, requires no tart pan, yet makes for an utterly delicious and elegant dessert. It’s light, flaky and best enjoyed by hand.
This Thin Apple Tart is made with only 5 components: a puff pastry circle, apples, butter, sugar and a glaze. It is a minimalist tart that truly lets the apple shine – so make sure you choose the right apples.
Choosing the Right Apples
This rule applies to any baking project that includes apples: choose baking apples. Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy or Granny Smith are all great varieties to use here. These aren’t as juicy once baked, and won’t turn mushy, nor make the crust underneath soggy.
I recommend you stick to only 1 variety of apple for this thin tart recipe. Do not mix different varieties or the tart may not look harmonious once baked.
I personally love to use Granny Smith or Honey Crisp to make this Thin Apple Tart recipe. Both these varieties are crisp and not too sweet. They also have a firm flesh that holds its shape when baking, which is perfect for slicing the apples very thinly and creating a pretty pattern.
The apples need to be peeled and then cut in very thin slices. To do so, you can use a mandoline or cut by hand, using a very sharp kitchen knife.
The final glazing, know as “abricoter”
The final step for this elegant Thin Apple Tart is known in French as “abricoter”. Abricoter is brushing apricot jam, thinned out with water on top of the fruits after the tart is baked. Apple or currant jellies are often used too. This gives the fruits a lovely glaze while protecting them from drying out or oxidizing (turning darker/brownish).
This process is used a lot in Classic French pastry, and you can see the majority of fruit tarts in bakeries bearing a lovely glaze.
For this Thin Apple Tart, I love to use a traditional Apricot jam thinned out with water as it gives a subtle yellow glaze that is perfect to highlight the apple slices. You could also use an apple jelly as the taste would go hand-in-hand with the taste of this tart. However, I don’t recommend using a red currant jelly as its red color would be too dark for the apple slices.
More Cooking notes:
- Although I honestly often rely on store-bought puff pastry to save time, you can of course make your own puff-pastry from scratch. For this, I recommend the rough puff pastry recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier. It is easy to make, uses lots of butter (in true French fashion) and turns out great.
- Act fast when rolling out and cutting out the puff pastry into a circle and transferring it onto the baking sheet. Puff pastry warms up quickly and can get sticky.
- Do not over-brush melted butter on top of the apples or you will get butter oozing out of the tart in the oven. Simply apply a thin single brushing over the apples.
- Like most puff pastry baked goods, this tart should be served the day it is made. After that, the puff pastry crust looses its crunch and flakiness.
I hope you’ll love this Classic French Thin Apple Tart (Tarte Fine Aux Pommes) as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
You may also like:
- Classic French Apple Tarte Tatin
- Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
- Classic French Apple Cake
- Classic French Pear Cake
- Pork Chops with Apples & Cider Sauce
19 comments
Glad I found your blog
Thanks!
Audrey,
Love your book and blog. Working our way through many of the recipes with great results. We wanted to make this tart in the morning and serve it in the evening. Would that work or is it best served immediately? We are big fans of planning meals to minimize cooking while our guests are here. Thanks for your input.
Hi Chuck. This tart is best served immediately as puff pastry tends to loose its crispness when it sits around for too long. However, you could make it in the morning and re-heat it quickly in the oven before serving in the evening (for the pastry to crisp up again). Happy baking and enjoy!
Do you recommend to have apple compote underneath the apple slices (in between the puff pastry and apple slices), to give it better texture? Not sure will that affect the rise of puff pastry.
Yes, some Tarte fine recipes include a layer of compote underneath, so you can definitely try it! Happy Baking!
The pie sounds very tasty especially since I grew up in Germany where my Mom made it looking like yours. I’m writing today since I’m frustrated since the recipe is not indicating between Step 4 + 5 if the pie is placed on a pan prior to baking in the oven?
Hello Ann. Sorry if you found the directions confusing, or unclear.
In Step #1 it states to “Transfer the puff pastry circle onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the fridge while you cut the apples.” The baking sheet is the “pan” that you will place into the oven. You’ll see from the photos for Step #3 that the pasty is already on the baking sheet once you start placing the apples onto it.
Hope this helps, and happy baking!
After making this recipe in the morning, do you refrigerate it or leave it on the counter if it’s to be used in the evening of the same day it was made?
Hello, Harold. Personally, I would leave it on the counter for same day use. Hope you enjoy it!
You commented: “This tart is best served immediately as puff pastry tends to loose its crispness when it sits around for too long. However, you could make it in the morning and re-heat it quickly in the oven before serving in the evening (for the pastry to crisp up again).” Does this mean it should be refrigerated after cooling if it won’t be reheated for 6 or 7 hours later? When reheated, at what oven temperature, and for how long?
Harold, the reheat question gets tricky as every oven is just a touch different.
I leave my tart on the counter for same day use, then I’ll pop it into a preheated 375F oven for 3-5min, keeping an eye that it doesnt burn underneath (I check right at 3min). You just want it warmed through and crisped back up slightly, not piping hot.
Enjoy!
Hi Audrey,
It’s George from Melbourne again, after a little absence. I have made this tart on two successive Sundays, and today will be the third. Not only is it a stress-free dessert but it is elegant and very tasty. Your guide to this tart makes it a straightforward task, and I thank you.
Best regards, George
Long time no see, George! Glad all is well and you’re knee deep in apple tarts! It’s not a bad place to be. Honestly, I’m right there with you, it’s such a simple, delicious and elegant dessert at any time, but Sunday is absolutely perfect! What kind of apples are you using down under?
Hi Audrey,
In response to your question, the apple I have been using for your classic French tart is the Granny Smith. It has just the right level of tartness to keep things fresh. For stewed apples, I prefer to use Fuji as they tend to stay firm and not go mushy.
George
Great calls! When you find the apples that work, it’s nice to just stick with them and know what you’re gonna get! 🙂 Great advice for others, appreciate it!
I made the tart as per your Recipe and it was delicious, everybody loved it. thank you!!
PS I struggled to, as per your recipe, to cut a piece of puff pastry 13″ square from a 10″ square sheet!
jOHNXXX
You’re very welcome, John! So glad everyone enjoyed it. Sounds like the you nailed the recipe, even with a little hiccup on the pastry sizing. Good stuff!
OOPS! RE PREVIOUS I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN. I DID NOT ROLL TYHE PASTRY OUT, JUST MADE THE TART ON PASTRY10″ SQUARE AND THE CRUST WAS FINE I.E. NOT TOO THICK
JOHNXXX