You can make this recipe even more quickly and easily, if you’re short on time, or just don’t want to be bothered making a crust, by using ready-made pie crust dough for the pastry. But you might want to rough up or fold the edges irregularly to give it that rustic appearance.

To easily lift your pastry dough after rolling it out, gently roll part of the dough onto the rolling pin. Then transfer it to the baking sheet, supporting the dough hanging from the pin with your other hand. Position it carefully before unrolling it onto the baking sheet.
INGREDIENTS

For the Pastry

1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons ice water

½ teaspoon fine lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice or more as desired

 

For the Filling

4 large Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cored

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground​ nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Powdered sugar (optional)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Pastry

Using ​a food processor:  Process the flour and butter until coarse crumbs form. With the motor running, add the water, lemon zest and juice through the feed tube and process until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. By hand:  Put the flour into a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir until the dough holds together.

Gather the dough into a ball, flatten, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes or just until firm enough to roll out. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface. The edges can be uneven. Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet.

Make the Tart

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut each apple in half from top to bottom. Remove the core and cut out stem and bud ends. Turn the halves cut sides down and slice thinly. Leaving a 2-inch border, arrange the apple slices in concentric circles from the outside toward the middle of the dough. In a small cup, mix the sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, then dot with butter. Fold the edges of the pastry over the apples.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue baking until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden, about 35 minutes more. Slide the tart onto a wire rack to cool. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

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Quick Tip:   Want to core your apple the easiest way? Place the apple on your cutting board, sitting on its bottom with the stem up. Holding it firmly, place your knife at the highest point where the apple curves up from the stem. Slice straight down. Repeat on all 4 sides around the apple. Now discard the core and slice these pieces. This works with apples with their skins on, as well as with those that have been peeled.

Recipe and image courtesy of Kathy at The Spruce