Apple Tart — Getting There Is the Trajectory

Drove to Evarts for the fall colors. Betty was on the porch in Earl's green cardigan, same as last year, same as every October, the sweater a constant in a life of constants. We sat and watched the mountains and I told her Amber is pregnant. She said I know, Amber called me. She said I told Amber the same thing I told you: about time. She said this family doesn't have enough babies. I said we have Earl Thomas. She said one is not enough. One is a start. I said how many is enough. She said ask me when I'm dead. I said Mama, don't talk like that. She said Craig Allen, I am eighty-four years old and I will talk however I please.

Made stack cake Saturday. My version, not Betty's — mine will never be Betty's, the layers not as thin, the filling not as dark, the spice not as certain. But it's closer this year. Closer than last year. The layers were seven, same as Betty's. The filling was dried apples I'd bought from a woman at the Harlan farmers market who dries them the old way, on a screen in the sun. The cake was good. Betty ate a slice and said it's getting there. Getting there is not there. But getting there is closer than where I was, and closer is the trajectory, and the trajectory is what matters.

The stack cake was Saturday. The apple tart came Sunday — a quieter effort, less weighted with inheritance, but made from the same dried apples I’d bought at the Harlan market, the ones dried on a screen in the sun. I wanted to stay in that apple space a little longer, with Betty’s voice still in my head and the fall colors still behind my eyes. A tart is more forgiving than a stack cake. It doesn’t ask you to be someone’s mother. It just asks you to pay attention, and I was still paying attention.

Apple Tart

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 3–4 tablespoons ice water
• 4 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam or apple jelly (for glaze)
• 1 tablespoon warm water (for glaze)

Instructions

1. Make the pastry. Whisk together flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Add cold butter cubes and work them in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently, until the dough just comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Roll the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rough 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Season the apples. Toss sliced apples with 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly coated.
5. Arrange the filling. Fan the apple slices in overlapping concentric circles across the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Scatter the small butter pieces over the apples and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the outer apples, pleating as you go to form a rough crust.
6. Bake. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the apples are tender and lightly caramelized at the edges.
7. Glaze and cool. Stir together the jam and warm water. As soon as the tart comes out of the oven, brush the apple surface with the glaze. Let cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 265 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 150mg