Description
This Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts recipe features a beautifully crafted apple tart with a flaky homemade crust and a spiced apple filling. The tart combines tender baked apples seasoned with warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger, creating a comforting and festive dessert perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, diced
- 3 tablespoons chilled butter, diced
- 1/4 cup ice water
For the Filling
- 5 small apples (or 3 large), cored and sliced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) of chilled diced butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles pebbles.
- Add Water and Knead: Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, kneading gently just until a ball forms.
- Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a ball, then press it into a disc shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour to firm up.
- Prepare Apples: Core and quarter the apples. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the apples into 1/8-inch thin slices.
- Mix the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples with brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss to coat evenly. Let the mixture sit for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to make the apples pliable for arranging.
- Preheat Oven and Roll Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough out into a circle. Carefully transfer it to a cast iron pan or pie plate and press evenly across the bottom and sides.
- Arrange Apples: Drain the excess liquid from the apples. Arrange the apple slices in an overlapping rosette pattern, starting from the outside edge and working toward the center of the tart.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the remaining diced butter evenly across the surface of the arranged apples.
- Bake the Tart: Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the apples and crust turn golden brown and are cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Using chilled butter and ice water helps achieve a flaky pie crust.
- Thinly slicing the apples and letting them sit with sugar and spices softens them and enhances flavor.
- If preferred, a pie plate can be used instead of a cast iron pan.
- For a vegan version, substitute the butter with a plant-based alternative.
- This tart pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
