Quiet, intentional, and comforting in its simplicity. Thinly sliced apples, arranged by hand, baked slowly until tender and lightly caramelized. The Tarte Aux Pommes is a dessert made not to impress, but to steady you—to remind you that care, repetition, and warmth can be enough.

Serves

1 tart

Ingredients

Tart Dough

• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon (14 g) sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon table or kosher salt

• 8 tablespoons (114 g) cold butter, cubed (salted or unsalted)

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (71 g) ice water

Apple Filling

• 3 to 4 apples (Honeycrisp works beautifully, but use what you love)

• 1/4 cup (57 g) butter, cubed (salted or unsalted)

• 1/4 cup (61 g) sugar

For Serving

• 1 cup heavy cream

• Confectioners’ sugar, to taste

• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), or kosher salt

Method

Make the dough

1. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse in short bursts until the butter resembles small peas, about 10 pulses.

2. Add the ice water and pulse again until the dough looks crumbly but holds together when pressed.

3. Turn the mixture out onto a clean kitchen towel. Gather the corners and twist gently, forming the dough into a compact round.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12–13 inch circle, dusting with flour as needed and flipping occasionally to prevent sticking. Transfer to a tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing gently into the edges. Trim excess dough and freeze the shell for 30 minutes.

Prepare the oven

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Place a rack in the center.

Prepare the apples

1. Cut the apples by slicing the sides (“cheeks”) away from the core into four pieces. Place each piece flat-side down and slice thinly, keeping the slices together.

2. Arrange the apple slices in the tart shell in a circular or fanned pattern, adjusting as needed to fill the pan evenly.

3. Sprinkle the apples evenly with the sugar and scatter the cubed butter over the top. Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

4. Bake for 35–40 minutes. Check after 15 minutes—if browning too quickly, reduce the temperature to 400°F. For deeper caramelization, you can switch to convection for the final 2–3 minutes, though this is optional.

Make the whipped cream

1. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.

2. Add confectioners’ sugar to taste, starting with 1/4 cup.

3. Add a generous pinch of flaky sea salt and continue whipping until slightly firmer peaks form.

4. Taste and adjust—the cream should be lightly sweet with a subtle saltiness.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with spoonfuls of salted whipped cream.