Name: French Apple Tart
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced; 1/2 cup ice water; 4 Granny Smith apples; 1/2 cup sugar; 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small-diced; 1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam (see note); 2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water

Image may contain Ina Garten Human Person and Plant

French Apple TartCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

This just might be my all-time favorite dessert. It's the simple essence of sweet apples and crisp pastry with no distractions. We've all collected several similar recipes over the years, but this is the best one I've ever made. If I need to make it even faster, I use defrosted frozen puff pastry instead of making the crust (see note), but you'll want to eat it an hour or two after it comes out of the oven.

Notes:

For a really fast apple tart, you can use one sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted. Roll out to 10x10 inches and then proceed with the apples.

Recipe notes

Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille

This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.

Rouille

This piquant French sauce comes together in the blender in just five minutes.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Key Lime Pie Thumbprint Cookies

The classic dessert reimagined as a soft and chewy cookie with a buttery, brown-sugar-sweetened graham cracker dough and a silky lime custard filling.