Apple “Flag” Tart Recipe

Apple “Flag” Tart Recipe

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup cold water
  • 5 large Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Jonagold apples (about 2 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup red-currant jelly
  • 1/4 cup apple jelly
  1. In a bowl stir together flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or fingertips blend in butter, blending until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water to mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing to incorporate until mixture forms a dough. On a work surface smear dough in several forward motions with heel of hand to develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Scrape dough together and pat into an 8- by 6-inch rectangle. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
  2. Reserve 1 apple for making stars. Peel, quarter, and core remaining 4 apples and cut lengthwise into scant-1/4-inch slices.
  3. For stars, stand reserved apple on its stem end and starting from the outside, cut scant-1/4-inch vertical slices, rotating apple to cut more slices as you reach the core. With a 1 1/4-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out as many whole stars as possible from slices and then cut partial stars from scraps.
  4. In a food processor pulse fresh or frozen cranberries with 3/4 cup sugar until chopped fine.
  5. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  6. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into 1 17-by 14-inch rectangle and transfer to a large baking sheet. Hand-roll the edges 1 inch toward center to make a raised border and spread cranberry mixture inside. Arrange apple slices lengthwise, overlapping them, in close horizontal rows (apples will shrink slightly during baking) to resemble stripes on an American flag, leaving a space in the upper-left corner for stars. Arrange partial stars in corner and top with whole stars. Brush pastry edge with water and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar over entire tart.
  7. Bake tart 50 minutes, or until apples are tender and pastry is golden brown. Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack.
  8. In a small saucepan melt jellies over moderate heat, stirring frequently until smooth.
  9. Brush hot glaze over warm tart. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.
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