Featured Recipe
Skillet Apple Tart
By Kate
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A skillet apple tart with a flaky crust, spiced with nutmeg and ginger, and a filling of honeycrisp and pink lady apples mixed with brown sugar and arrowroot starch. Baked in a cast iron pan until golden brown. The crust uses white whole wheat and pastry flour blended with cold butter and an apple cider vinegar splash. The tart has a vented top crust for steam release. Cooling briefly before serving. Keeps well at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
dessert
baking
autumn
Introduction
Flour blends and cold butter chunks. Shards of crust forming in food processor. No time to be gentle. Honeycrisp apples punchy tartness, pink lady sweet crisp. Brown sugar holding the fruit slices like a grimace. Spices warming but holding back — ginger, nutmeg, watch out. Arrowroot to thicken the spill. Two discs of cold dough hugging the skillet tightly. Vents cut for the steam to escape or else poppop. Brushing milk to brown up the skin. The oven rumbles at 215, the skillet welcoming heat. Forty-five, fifty minutes later, crust gleams. Cool. Wait. Patience. Slice the warmth. The smell like autumn in a pan. No rush. Eat slow, or save. It’s patient at room temp, three days if it lasts.
Ingredients
Crust
- 250 g (1 2/3 cups) white whole wheat flour
- 100 g (2/3 cup) pastry flour
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
- 190 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) ice water
- 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) apple cider vinegar
- 350 g (3 cups) Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1 cm thick
- 350 g (3 cups) Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1 cm thick
- 140 g (2/3 cup) packed light brown sugar
- 3 ml (1/2 tsp) ground nutmeg
- 3 ml (1/2 tsp) ground ginger
- 20 g (2 tbsp) arrowroot starch
- Milk, for brushing
Filling
About the ingredients
Using a mix of white whole wheat and pastry flour gives sturdiness but keeps a tender crumb. Butter has to be cold, dice it and keep it chilled before mixing to avoid a tough crust. Apple cider vinegar, the acid, loosens the gluten just enough for flakiness. Two types of apples for balance — Honeycrisp for bright acidity and Pink Lady for sweetness and firm texture. Brown sugar instead of white for deeper flavor. Arrowroot starch replaces tapioca as it thickens juices with less gumminess. Ground nutmeg and ginger add warmth without a punch of cinnamon, changing seasonal notes. Milk on top is just to color, skip if vegan. Dough discs rest refrigerated about 40 minutes to relax gluten and firm up butter again, easier rolling out.
Method
Filling
- In a large bowl, toss the apples with brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, and arrowroot. Set aside to macerate.
- In a food processor combine flours and salt. Pulse to mix. Add cold butter. Pulse until pea-sized crumb forms.
- Pour in ice water and cider vinegar gradually. Pulse until dough just forms a ball.
- Remove dough. Divide into two discs. Wrap in plastic. Chill 40 minutes.
- Position oven rack on lower third. Preheat oven to 215 C (420 F).
- On floured surface, roll one dough disc 3 mm thick, slightly larger than 25 cm skillet.
- Carefully line skillet with dough. Sprinkle arrowroot starch evenly over crust base.
- Spread apple mixture into skillet.
- Roll second dough disc same thickness. Use small round cutter or tip to punch 4-6 vents. Place over filling.
- Trim excess dough. Fold edges under and pinch to seal both crusts together.
- Brush top crust with milk.
- Place skillet on baking sheet. Bake 50 minutes until crust is golden and juices bubbly.
- Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Tart can be kept at room temperature up to 3 days.
Crust
Assembly
Baking
Technique Tips
Mix dry ingredients before adding cold butter. Pulse sharply to keep chunks visible. Water plus vinegar added incrementally or dough gets wet and stuck. Form dough discs quickly, chill minimum 40 minutes so it firms for rolling. Lower oven rack for even bottom bake in skillet. Sprinkle thickener first on crust before filling to absorb juices. Cut 4-6 steam vents in upper crust to prevent sogginess and let apples bubble freely. Seal edges by pinching under and crimping firmly to prevent juice leaks in baking. Brush milk briskly then transfer skillet to oven preheated fully. Use baking sheet for extra oven safety. Bake 50 minutes, watching crust color, tent with foil if browning too fast. Cool minimum half hour so filling thickens, avoids runny slices. Store loosely covered at room temperature; moisture can soften crust if wrapped tight in plastic.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Use cold butter. This is key. Cut it small, chill it before mixing. Helps to maintain a flakey crust. Don't skip this step. It's vital.
- 💡 Apple blend works well. Honeycrisp gives tartness. Pink Lady adds sweetness. Combine the two for a balanced flavor. Not just one type.
- 💡 Arrowroot starch is an alternative to cornstarch. Works great for thickening. Thicker filling without gumminess at all. Use it wisely.
- 💡 Cover the tart loosely after cooling. Too tight and moisture builds. Crust softens if wrapped up. Room temperature is a good storage option.
- 💡 Cut vents in top crust. Essential for steam release. Prevent sogginess in bottom. Bubbles from filling get out this way. Don't forget this.
Kitchen Wisdom
How do I prevent a soggy crust?
Start by sprinkling arrowroot on the crust first. It absorbs juices well. Vents are crucial too.
What can I use instead of apple cider vinegar?
Lemon juice will work in a pinch. Still maintains flakiness. Don't worry about it too much.
Can I refrigerate the tart?
Better not, crust will soften. Room temp is best. But it lasts longer in the fridge. Just wrapped loosely.
What to do if filling is too runny?
Add more arrowroot next time. Allow apples to macerate longer. If already baked, let cool completely.
