Free-Form Apple Tart with Cinnamon Crumble

Soft apples and a cinnamon crumble wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust

The height of apple season is already over, but there's still a lot of good varieties at my local markets (and even in the regular grocery store year round). My favorite types to eat are either Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady, but I think that the tarter Granny Smiths are best to use for baking. This casual and rustic take on a traditional apple pie has all my favorite components: a super flaky buttery crust, mounds of tender baked apples, and a sweet crumble topping. The tart isn't the most impressive thing to look at but it doesn't require any special tools to put together and the taste more than makes up for the appearance.


Related Recipes:
- Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
- Pecan Pie
- Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle


Free-Form Apple Tart with Cinnamon Crumble:
For Crust

• Pulse 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor until combined.
• Pulse in 2 sticks (16 tbsp.) cold butter until the butter is the size of peas.
• Slowly stir in 1/2 c. ice cold water until the dough just barely comes together to form a ball.
• Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least one hour* in the fridge.

For Tart

• Peel and core 4 Granny Smith apples and slice 1/4"-1/2" thick.
• Toss the apples with 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/3 c. sugar, 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 c. flour, 1/3 c. sugar, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Stir in 4 tbsp. melted butter until crumbles form and set topping aside.
• Roll out the dough in a circle about 1/4" thick and place on a baking sheet.
• Mound the apple mixture* in the middle of the dough, leaving about an inch border from the edge.
• Fold up the edges of the dough over the apples to form a crust.
• Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the apples and bake in a 375F oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden.
• Let cool before slicing and serving.

Serves eight

*If there is a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl you should drain it off before pouring into the crust.