My favorite Apple Tart

Did you know that there are 30,000 types of apples in the world? (And I thought 100 was pushing it!) The rarest apple in the world is the Bardsey Island Apple, which is pink in color and has a lemon scent. That could be your next question at trivia night - you’re welcome!

Apples are a traditional fruit to eat at this time of the year (the High Holidays in the Jewish Calendar). Apples are round like the world - we celebrate the birthday of our world on Rosh Hashanah, “the head of this new year.” Apples come in so many varieties - a metaphor for all the different people in the world. A great reminder that we are all unique and different, and to acknowledge people's differences and accept who they are. Be kind and share warmth with others.

My sisters and I grew up eating apple tarts on a regular basis. The tarts went so fast, sometimes we made one after another. They are dangerously delicious!

I have made it a point to taste test apple cobblers, crumbles, and cakes wherever I eat - I actually look for it on the menu. But after all these years, I still come back to Noreen Gilitz’s (Martha Stewart of Canada) Apple Tart. I previously shared her original recipe from her famous 1968 cookbook Second Helpings, Please! She recently passed and left a delicious legacy. Heaven is being well fed! Thank you Noreen, my mother and now my sisters and I are your loyal followers.

The Dinner Table Family Headquarters cookbook that I co-wrote with my sisters has a modified version of this recipe. 

Dough
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp white vinegar

Filling

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups apples - coarsely grated or chopped (peeling is optional)

Toppings

1/4 cup sugar
sweetened whipped cream, if desired

Instructions

- Combine flour, salt, and sugar lightly with a fork
- Cut in butter, then blend with fork until mixture looks like a shortbread dough
- Stir in vinegar with a fork
- Spread dough thickly on the bottom of a 9-inch spring pan, and 1 inch extra up the sides
- Combine ingredients for filling and spread evenly over dough
- Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour
- Cool and remove from the spring pan
- Optional: add toppings above

Dinner Table Famlly Headquarters - Recipe modified by: Liz Lesh (sister)
Dough

1 cup gluten free flour, whole wheat flour of almond flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter or non-dairy butter
1 tbsp white vinegar

Top/Filling

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, thinly sliced or grated

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Dough: combine the flour, sugar, cut in butter, add the vinegar and fork the mixture like a shortbread
- Spread dough on the Bottom of a spring pan, and thinly up the sides about 1/2 to 1 inch high
- Filling: combine all the ingredients and spread evenly over the dough making sure you leave space towards the edges so the sugar doesn’t stick to the sides
- Bake for 45 - 60 minutes. Please check after 45 minutes. The sugar will burn if heated too long
- Cool and serve if you can wait - the aroma as the Apple Tart bakes is delectable
- Optional: add ice cream over the tart and enjoy

30,000 Hugs,
Genia