23 January 2014

Rustic Apple Tart - Sour Cream Pastry


Rustic Apple Tart (easier than pie!) with Sour Cream Pastry / www.delightfulrepast.com

Homemade apple pie is one of my favorite winter desserts. But sometimes it just seems like too much trouble. You know what I mean? Rolling out two crusts, peeling and slicing all those apples, making a pretty crimped edge. I just wasn't up for all that today. 

The solution? A little rustic tart. The rustic tart is quicker and easier than a double-crust pie or tart. You can make it free-form on a baking sheet, as I did for my Rustic Peach Tart, or make it in a 9-inch glass pie plate.


Rustic Apple Tart (easier than pie!) with Sour Cream Pastry (this photo, my watercolor painting of a red apple) / www.delightfulrepast.com
I love doing watercolor sketches of the "groceries" and of produce from
my own garden or that of friends and neighbors.


Just make the same amount of dough you would for any 9-inch single-crust pie, but roll it a bit larger to about 14 inches. Center it in the pie plate, not worrying about evening up the ragged edges, pour in the filling, and then bring that raggedy overhanging pastry up over the apples.

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Rustic Apple Tart (easier than pie!) with Sour Cream Pastry / www.delightfulrepast.com
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Rustic Apple Tart / Galette / Crostata


(Makes one 8.5-inch round tart, 6 servings)

Sour Cream Pastry 


1 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (6.25 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream, plus a little more if needed 

Filling

1 1/2 pounds (about 4 medium) apples*
1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Pinch salt 

*I usually use half each of two varieties; such as, Fuji and Pink Lady, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, or Braeburn and Pippin. 

1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. With coarse grater over bowl, shred the butter over the flour. (Don't try to shred the very last--you'll shred your fingers; just cut it up.) Stir with a large dinner fork, making sure all the shredded butter is coated with flour. Mixture should be very chunky.



2 With the fork, stir in the sour cream. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together and there isn't a lot of dry flour in the bowl, you've used enough sour cream. If not, either add a bit more or sprinkle on up to a tablespoon or so of cold milk, a teaspoon at a time.

3 Turn the crumbly dough out onto a square of plastic wrap and shape it into a 5-inch disk. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. 

4 If you've chilled the dough for just 30 minutes or so, you can roll it out without waiting. You'll need to let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling. Save the square of plastic wrap; you'll be using it again. (I'm very sparing in my use of plastic wrap and like to get as much use out of a piece as possible!) 

5 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the filling just before you roll out the pastry. In tiny bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Peel and core the apples, and slice them into a medium bowl. I slice them like this: Peel the apples, cut them in half through the stem end. With a melon baller, remove the core from each half; with paring knife, trim away the peel from the ends. Cut each half in half lengthwise and slice thinly crosswise. You should have about 4 cups. Stir in the sugar mixture. 

6 Lightly flour a square of parchment paper on the counter. Place the disk of dough in the center and sprinkle it lightly with flour. If you like, place the reserved piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. With floured rolling pin, roll out the disk, rolling from center to edge and rotating by quarter-turns to make a round shape, to a 14-inch circle. Don't worry about ragged edges; this is a rustic tart. 

7 Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate, using about 1/2 teaspoon of butter. Transfer dough to pie plate, paper side up; remove paper. Press dough into the pie plate without stretching, leaving the raggedy-edged overhang untrimmed.



8 Pour in the apple filling in an even layer. Bring the overhang up over the apples a little at a time, sort of "pleating" as you go. Don't try to be cute -- we're going for rustic here! Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes. Can be served from the pie plate or lifted out and placed on a serving plate.


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Jean


30 comments:

Dina said...

a delicious classic!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Dina, thank you! I do love the classics!

Magnolia Verandah said...

Apple pie yum yum one of my favourites. Really like this rustic look.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Magnolia! I've always liked rustic. Had that discussion several years ago with a friend who likes to make everything look like it came out of a package.

NanaDiana said...

That looks SO delicious, Jean! Wow!!!! xo Diana

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Diana! It was tasty!

Angie's Recipes said...

I actually prefer the rustic crust. This is great shared with friends and a pot of freshly brewed Chai in the cold afternoon.
Have a great day, Jean!
Angie

Unknown said...

Apple pie is my absolute favorite pie.. and finding a way to make the process easier is a total bonus! Looks lovely, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Angie, thanks! Yes, that sounds like my kind of afternoon!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jenn! These days, if we can find a shortcut that doesn't shortchange quality and flavor, I say let's take it!

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Yessir, apple pie! Tastes the same whether it’s rustic, rusty, crusty, or wearing a caramel boa and cinnamon sprinkles. Matter of fact, rustic save you some of the trouble of chewing, seems to me. Key thing for me with an apple pie is whether the apples are mellow enough for my tastes, and whether the glurp is of such a consistency that it will fructify in the ‘fridge and bond into that lower crust. Tip: If an apple pie is too tart, you can save it with a few zigzags of caramel over the top. Just make sure you get some caramel with each bite – which will temper the tartness. Tip #2: If you use Jeani’s smart recipe for no-fuss apple pie, but suffer the loss of visual aesthetics, turn off the lights…

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, it can't be too tart for us; but I might just deliberately make it too tart so I could enjoy it with "a caramel boa"! With or without the lights on, that's a natural combination!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful pie! love the sour cream pastry!
Mary x

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Mary, thank you. Glad you like it!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Shhh...don't tell my hubby, but apple desserts trump chocolate. And your galette look fantastic!!!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Liz! Yep, I'll take a fruit dessert over a chocolate one every time!

Susan J Meyerott, M.S. said...

Jean--looks yummy as usual. I did make the scones for my hubby. They were delicious! I am not a scone fan--but these had a fabulous consistency--not dry like the others.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sue! And thanks for getting back to me about the scones. Glad you liked them!

LANA said...

I would be more inclined to make apple pie the rustic way. I agree that pie-making does take a lot of time. I love that there is sour cream in the crust. Looks like a keeper!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Lana, thank you! And you can always shortcut it buy using an already rolled out ready-made crust. Just roll it out another couple of inches to give you something to bring up over the apples.

TONY said...

Ha! Jean, I've always liked a nice tart.
This sounds so naughty, but, nice.
Now , I'm always one for short cuts. If we were to turn this lovely luscious lip smacking delicacy into an acronym we would be eating, RAT!!!
No,now, honestly, Jean, it sounds lovely.

All the best,
Tony

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Tony! :D

Grant said...

I don't think there are enough exquisite superlatives to describe just how deliciously amazing your rustic tart looks!!! Wow! I'm salivating at the sight of it. You sure do inspire with your delightful repasts!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Grant! I love your enthusiasm!

Charles said...

Hooray, I can actually make a sour cream crust, since I live somewhere now where sour cream is actually available in stores!!

This looks great Jean - I agree with you about apples being an effort to prepare. I usually just shred or grate them, or just slice them up skin and all!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Charles! Yes, sometimes I don't bother to peel them either, since I buy organic apples that haven't been waxed. Glad you can get sour cream now!

Connie said...

Oh my! Your Rustic Apple Tart looks so good, I may be drooling on my keyboard, LOL I love trying new recipes and I can not wait to try your Chicken Enchiladas, those are a favorite of ours, but I have never trying making them homemade. I am delighted to find this recipe and over-joyed in finding your blog.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit and possibly follow me back.
Your newest blogging sister, Connie :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Connie, thank you so much! And I will definitely be paying regular visits to your blog as I try to reawaken my sewing/crafting gene.

Sippity Sup said...

I love the idea of simply lined a pie pan for the most unconstrained presentation possible.GREG

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Greg! I like that description -- unconstrained!