french apple tart

every year for thanksgiving i make a non-pumpkin pie. last year i made a cherry pie and this year i went with a french apple tart. this is a great pie-esque dessert and it's not too filling since there isn't a top pie crust. the recipe {comes via the barefoot contessa} calls for granny smith apples but i went half honey crisp and half granny smith - sweet and tart.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
4 granny smith apples {or 2 honey crisp and 2 granny smith}
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbls cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 tbls calvados, run or water

for the pastry, place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. pulse for a few seconds to combine. add the butter and pulse 10-12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. with the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

preheat the oven to 400. line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

roll the dough slightly larger than 10x14-inces. using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

{mine got a little broken up on the left side}

peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. remove the stems and cores with a shark knife and a melon baler. slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch slices. place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

{so you can really see the rows}
{dotted with butter}

bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned the edges of the apples start to brown. rotate the pan once during cooking. if the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. don't worry! the apples juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! when the tart's done, heat the jelly, together with the calvados {or rum or water} and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't sick to the paper. allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.