Martha Stewart Pink-Applesauce Tart

Martha Stewart pink-applesauce tart, a make ahead beauty, hides rosy Calvados sauce under paper-thin Empire apple slices in a buttery pastry shell. She brushes the top with red-currant jelly for a glossy finish built for fall holiday baking.

Serve it cold from the fridge for Thanksgiving dessert or a potluck. Slice the apples thin enough to see through them, because thick slices steam instead of crisping and the tart loses its petal look.

Martha Stewart Pink-Applesauce Tart

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: American, FrenchDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Calories

200

kcal

A golden pate brisee holds a layer of pink Calvados applesauce topped with petal-thin apple rings, baked crisp-tender and finished with a glistening red-currant coat.

Ingredients

• Pate Brisee for Pink-Applesauce Tart
  

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
  

• 1/4 cup sugar
  

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  

• Pinch of salt
  

• 2 tablespoons Calvados
  

• 1 1/2 cups Martha's Pink Applesauce
  

• 2 small red-skinned apples (about 12 ounces), such as McIntosh or Empire
  

• 3 tablespoons red-currant or sour-cherry jelly
  

Directions

• Line the tart pan: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Fit into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edge of dough flush with top of pan. Prick bottom of dough with a fork. Freeze 15 minutes. Line crust with parchment; fill with dried beans or pie weights.
• Blind bake the crust: Bake until edges are set and golden, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove paper and beans. Bake until bottom is dry and golden, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• Cook the applesauce filling: Meanwhile, combine sugar, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon Calvados and simmer 30 seconds. Stir in applesauce.
• Arrange the apple slices: Spread applesauce mixture evenly in cooled tart shell. Core apples, then use a mandoline or a very sharp knife to slice into almost paper-thin rings. Arrange apples over applesauce mixture, overlapping slices in concentric circles from the center out, to completely cover tart. Bake until apples are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.
• Glaze and cool: Combine jelly and remaining 1 tablespoon Calvados in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Brush glaze over apples. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Unmold and serve. Tart can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day.

Tools for this recipe

• Wilton 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, Mrs. Anderson's ceramic pie weights, Benriner Japanese mandoline. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this tart without Calvados?

Sub in brandy or apple brandy at the same ratio since they carry a similar warmth. Bourbon works too, though it nudges the flavor away from French and toward caramel. If you skip alcohol entirely, stir in 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead, because the sauce needs that sharp note to balance the sugar.

How long does pink-applesauce tart keep?

Keep it covered in the fridge up to 1 day, which matches Martha's own storage note. The crust softens past 24 hours since the applesauce is wet, so bake it the morning of your event if you can. Freeze the unbaked shell for up to 2 months, then fill and bake from frozen.

Can I make the tart shell ahead of time?

Blind bake the shell up to 2 days ahead, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Fill and top with apples the day you plan to serve. The applesauce filling softens baked pastry fast, so adding it more than a few hours before serving gives you a soggy bottom.

What kind of apples work best for this tart?

Martha calls for McIntosh or Empire because they are red-skinned and slice thin without crumbling. Gala and Braeburn hold up well too, and their color gives the same rosy look on top. Skip Granny Smith here, since the green skin breaks the pink-and-red effect that makes this tart look like a rose.

Why did my apple slices curl up during baking?

They were too thick. You need slices thin enough to see light through them, about 1/16 inch, so use a mandoline set to its thinnest setting. If you only have a knife, freeze each apple half for 10 minutes first, because the cold firms the flesh and lets you shave it finer.