Apple tart
( Crostata di mele )

Apple tart recipe

Preparation

• - Prepare shortcrust pastry.
  You could prepare short pastry following my instructions. But remember to double my doses for making this cake. Link below! Or you could use your favorite recipe.
• - Prepare apple tart in the baking pan.
  Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
  Butter a 27,5 cm (11in) round baking tin.
  Line it with your shortcrust pastry (bottom and sides).
  Prick pastry with a fork and sprinkle biscuits on its bottom uniformly.
  Spoon jam in a very thin layer.
  Fill up with apples, peeled and sliced.
  Arrange apple slices in many circles.
  Put little pieces of butter over all apple slices.
  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cooking

• - Bake, about 30 minutes.
  Be careful your tart doesn't color too much.
  Short pastry must be soft.

Note

Tips

• - You shouldn't choose too sweet jam (plum or orange jam is the best choice).
• - Don't add sugar to apples. Sugar is already in pastry.
• - Keep your apple tart at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
• - Variants. Sometimes I slice apples, sprinkle with cinnamon and grated rind of an organic lemon, add a handful of soaked raisins and mix well. I let it rest for about ten minutes. Then I distribute apple slices in a radial pattern along with the raisins placed casually.

Menu planning

• - This apple tart is suitable to be served in many different ways.
  You can make it for your children's party.
  You can close rustic or refined full menus, Italian-style with this cake.
  I find it particularly suitable for your get-togethers or special occasions in fall and winter (the seasons of apples). I never make it in spring or summer. Above all in summer: apples come from countries south the Equator and they are often less fragrant as well as more expensive.
  After enjoying risotto or pasta with mushrooms or meat sauce, a tasty braised beef or a pot roast, what cake is better than apple tart?

Useful links for this recipe

• - Interested in my shortcrust pastry recipe?

Healthy eating

• - Most desserts and cakes are a sore point for all. In this case too.
  Just check out its calories (more than half of a normal meal), fats and sugars.
  Now if you eat this cake in a special occasion, nothing happens because our body is able to balance well a high-calorie meal as long as you return to your normal diet. I want to specify with you the term diet doesn't mean weight loss diet for me but simply your healthy way of daily eating.
  The situation is very different if you think to prepare this cake for your family breakfast or afternoon snack. The positive aspect is the choice of ingredients. You could also use completely organic ingredients. The downside lies in refined flour and sugar, amount of butter and jam. You can make a lot of sweets with apples in a healthier way.
• - Fiber per serving: 1.2 grams (daily intake is 23 grams).

Loretta

Just before serving

• - Let your apple tart cool very well before transfering into serving plate.

What's the right wine for " Apple tart "?

My husband and I generally serve bubbles with this apple tart when we have something to celebrate. We like very much Recioto di Soave (sparkling wine of Veneto). But it a fantastic idea to serve arancino (orange-flavoured liqueur) after eating this cake.