I am an unabashed fan of refrigerated pie crusts. I am certain that the number of pies I would make if I was only allowed to make crust from scratch would be about 15 percent of my current pie output. And I know that my friends and family would be very sad should that happen.
The refrigerated stuff is great. It just gets a quick roll on the counter, then with a quick fold-and-transfer-technique (see the recipe for how it’s done) it’s in the pan in a snap. Couldn’t be easier.
I am also a huge fan of creme fraiche, which is a lush, thick cream. It’s one of those secret ingredients that can turn something simple into something spectacular. Unadulterated, it has a rich, slightly nutty and tart flavor. And it shines in both sweet and savory cooking. When you add a little sugar and cinnamon to it, it turns this tart into something that feels restaurant-fancy. You can find it in tubs in the cheese section of the supermarket, or the dairy case.
A final little trick in this recipe — the inclusion of cornstarch. As the apples cook, they release juices, which can make the bottom of the tart soggy. The cornstarch nicely thickens up these juices and binds the apple filling together a bit. The result of all of this is the fastest, easiest apple tart I know how to make, but that’s not the impression it will leave on your guests.
EASY APPLE TART WITH CINNAMON CREME FRAICHE
Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours
Servings: 8
For the tart:
Butter, for the pan, plus 2 tablespoons chilled and cut into small pieces
1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a 15-ounce package), room temperature
4 large cooking apples, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, peeled, halved and cored
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup apricot or peach jam or preserves
For the cinnamon creme fraiche:
3/4 cup creme fraiche
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 170 calories from fat (50 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (11 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 40 mg cholesterol; 150 mg sodium; 45 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 25 g sugar; 2 g protein.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.