Apple tart

Ingredients:

For the shortcrust pastry:

250g flour

125g cold butter, diced

80g icing sugar

1 egg yolk

3-4 tablespoons cold water

A pinch of salt

For the filling:

4 to 5 apples (Golden or Granny Smith type)

50g sugar

30g melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 tablespoon apricot jam or honey (for glaze)

Instructions:

Preparation of the shortcrust pastry:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, icing sugar and salt.

Add the diced butter and sand the dough with your fingers until you get a sandy texture.

Add the egg yolk and cold water gradually, while mixing until the dough forms a ball. If necessary, add a little more cold water.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Roll out the dough:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to form a disc about 3 mm thick.

Line a 24-26 cm tart tin with the dough, making sure to press the edges down tightly. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork.

Preparation of the apples:

Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thin strips.

Arrange the apple slices in a rosette on the pie shell, overlapping them slightly.

Garnish the pie:

Sprinkle the apples with sugar and cinnamon (if desired).

Drizzle the apples with melted butter so that they brown well when cooked.

Cooking:

Bake the pie for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the dough is golden brown and the apples are cooked through.

Icing:

Once the pie is baked, heat the apricot jam (or honey) with a teaspoon of water to make it more liquid.

Lightly brush the tops of the apples with this glaze to give them a shiny appearance.

Serve:

Let cool a little before serving. Apple pie is delicious served warm, accompanied by crème fraîche, vanilla ice cream or simply plain.

History of Apple tart:

The origin of Apple Pie is traced to the 1300s, with the first written recipes derived from the ancient monasteries.

It appears that, among those recipes, there was the "Tarte aux pommes" one, that is the "Apple Tart" (“Torta di mele”), which except for a few ingredients is the same as we know.

Afterwards it was brought from England to the Americas, where it become some sort of national symbol with the name of American Pie.

Desserts such as the Apple Tart result from the need to preserve food for longer: without refrigerators, people used to cook fruit in order to extend their conservation.

To date, the Apple Tart is baked and known all over the world, with variations from country to country: from the Italian Torta di Mele to the American Apple Pie, from the French Tarte Tatin to the English Apple Crumble.