French Apple Tart

Need a good dessert this Memorial Day weekend?  Try this easy and elegant apple tart (forget about the French part).  This really isn't hard to make, and it looks so impressive.  It's really good, too, especially if you serve it with a scoop of ice cream.

I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten's on "Barefoot Contessa."  The Food Network website even has a video of here making it here if my instructions aren't too clear.  She made her own pastry dough, and you're welcome to do that too, but I used a sheet of puff pastry, and it was great.

You should definitely do this when you want to impress company.  It looks so elegant and is so much easier than it looks.

French Apple Tart

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
3-4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apricot jelly
2 Tbsp rum or water

Preheat oven to 400.  Roll out puff pastry sheet to 10"x14".  Transfer to sheet pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. 

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem.  Remove the stems and core with a sharp knife and a melon baller.  Slice the apples crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices.  Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal slices down both sides of the first row until the tart is covered with apple slices.  Sprinkle apples with the 1/2 cup of sugar. 

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown.  If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. 

When the tart is done, heat the apricot jelly together with the rum or water, and brush the apples and pastry completely with the jelly mixture.  Loosen the tart with a spatula.  Allow to cool, and serve warm or at room temperature.