Rustic Apple Tart

Switch things up this holiday season with a non-traditional pie.  It’s rectangle shape would be a great addition to any rectangular shaped dining table at Thanksgiving, providing a wonderful contrast to the other round-shaped cakes and pies.  Plus, no special pie pan is needed for this salty-sweet-delicious apple-pie like dessert.  This dish has a delectable crust that has a buttery, flaky texture.  In fact, I could eat the homemade crust alone–and I did.  The dough was so tasty that I found myself eating it raw even before putting the tart into the oven.  

I love “rustic tarts” like this one (tarts where the edges are folded over instead of baked in a pie or tart pan) because the insides are exposed in an imperfect way.  You simply arrange the filling on top of the rolled-out dough, and sprinkle butter, spices, and brown sugar on top.  Of course, this dish could also be round using the same method of folding the dough over the top.

I always thought that the American Apple Pie was the one dessert that Americans hand down beat the French equivalent–the apple galette.  But, this galette-type dish proves my theory wrong!  Use any baking-friendly variety of apples–such as granny smith, pink lady or braeburn.  Or, you can be a champ and combine a number of apple varieties.  Pair this dish with sparkling wine, coffee, or tea; top it with vanilla ice cream, of some freshly whipped, sweetened cream.  This versatile and satisfying apple dish would not only be a great addition to Thanksgiving, but any of the dreary days ahead this Fall.