Recipe: Apple Tart

Apple Tart
rec.food.cooking/Diana Hamilton

I love the way McIntosh apples work in an apple tart ("open-faced" pie) because they puff up really nicely, and the tartness balances the brown sugar flavor. The only problem is they are pretty juicy, so you need plenty of flour. My (PA Dutch) grandmother's recipe for this tart using McIntosh apples is below.

Pare apples, cut in half, core and keep in salted water until ready.

Mix together about 1/4 cup flour (or decrease to 1 rounded tbsp for non-McIntosh) and 3/4 cup light brown sugar. Spread over the bottom and sides of an unbaked pie shell. Arrange apple halves face down on top of mixture in a single layer, cutting some in half again to fit around edges, if necessary. Pour about 1 tbsp of water in the center (1/4 cup for non-McIntosh). Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar and with cinnamon. Dot with a little butter (optional). Bake 425F 10 min, then down to 350F until apples are done.

Notes: Winesap and Baldwin take longer to bake, so cut slits in them; they may need more water; they don't puff up. Peaches can be substituted: use about 1 rounded tbsp flour and pour in about 1 tbsp water.