This is a great alternative to the traditional apple pie for the holidays, especially since we always seem to never really have room for dessert, if we are being honest, yet still cram piles of pie in our mouths. Based off of the french apple tart, or tarte aux pommes, I've modified the recipe a bit to give it more of an American apple pie taste, with a surprise: a glaze made with orange liqueur!  Oh la la!


Also, to make life a whole lot easier during the stressful holiday feasts that we prepare, I'm going to give you some great news...I baked this with pre-made pie crusts!!  Yep!  I used a 9" square tart pan with the removable bottom, and it took one roll plus just a smidge more from the second roll of pre-made dough, so unfortunately there's some dough waste unless you can figure out how to use it in another dessert.

Tarte aux Pommes - "Americanized"

Ingredients
1 box of 2 pre-made pie dough (I prefer Pillsbury)
6 granny smith apples
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp flour


For the glaze
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-2 Tbsp triple sec or other orange liqueur

1. Take the pie dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up, about 15 minutes
2. Press the dough into the tart pan, set aside
3. Peel apples and slice thinly, about 1/8", and place in a large bowl.  Also consider squaring off edges to better fit in the square pan.  If using a circular pan, they will fit without that cut
4. Toss lemon juice with the apples to prevent browning
5. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a separate bowl, then use the mixture to toss with the apples
6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
7. Arrange the apples in rows in the tart pan
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes, watching to make sure the crust doesn't burn (cover with foil if it does)
9. Make a simple syrup on the stove by combining 1/2 cup cold water with the sugar in a small sauce pan and bringing the mixture to a boil, until all the sugar is dissolved
10. Add in the orange liqueur and stir generously.  Set aside, off the heat, and allow to cool
11. Once the apple tart is cool, brush on the simple syrup glaze to coat the apples and make them look shiny

When you are ready to serve, this particular shaped tart is very simple to cut, following the rows and cutting each into the thirds, thus serving 12 people.  These are not particularly hearty portions, but if you've had a big dinner, this dessert is perfect to provide a little something sweet to finish off the meal and to give you all the flavors of apple pie without getting even more stuffed.