This recipe is close to my heart for many reasons. First of all, it's French. And I prefer calling it Tarte Aux Pommes rather than French Apple Pie ... because c'est français, after all! And it's what I grew up calling it so it's deep in my soul. Almost in my DNA.

A friend of my mom’s gave her this recipe when we lived in France during my childhood and it holds all sorts of sweet goodness and memories. The tarte has a pâte sucrée (a sweet crust), layers of beautiful apple slices with the peeling still on, and is coated with a custard topping. It serves as a simple dessert, an afternoon snack, or a morning treat with tea or coffee, and it packs well for lunch on the go or traveling. In other words, it is the perfect sweet bite any time of day.

1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour

½ cup butter at room temperature, cut into cubes

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

Pinch of salt

1-2 apples, Braeburn or Gravenstein cut into wedges, then into thin slices

2 large eggs

½ cup sugar

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Mix all the dry ingredients for the crust in a bowl. Add the cubes of butter and the egg and use a fork to cut it into the flour mixture. 

Put it into a baking dish and spread it out with your hands so that it is smooth and even. I like to use a flat quiche dish or a tart pan with a removable base.

 

Layer the sliced apples all around in the shape of a flower.

 

Mix all the ingredients for the topping and pour over the apples evenly.

 

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until set and browned.

I have used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour instead of all-purpose.

 

I always use organic cane sugar when sugar is called for, but I have also used coconut palm sugar. It is a darker color and, as such, will affect the appearance, but that's not necessarily a bad thing!