It was one of those days where the craving for something sweet hit me out of nowhere. Not a chocolate craving, mind you, but something fruity and warm that would fill my kitchen with the smell of cinnamon and make my taste buds applaud. I glanced over at the bowl of apples on my counter, and it was like they whispered "tart" to me. Enter the Apricot Glazed Apple Tart—my quick-fix dessert that feels fancy enough for company but easy enough for a Tuesday night. The buttery crust and the sweet-tart apple filling glazed with apricot preserves is my idea of dessert heaven. Trust me, this tart is worth every minute it takes to put together.

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What You'll Need

You'll love this recipe because it’s likely everything you need is already sitting in your kitchen, just waiting to be transformed into something magical.

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup of ice water
• 3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
• 3 large red apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of apricot preserves, melted

How to Make Apricot Glazed Apple Tart

1. Start by making your dough. In a food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cups of the flour with a pinch of salt until combined.
2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the processor. Pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of peas—this takes about 5 seconds.
3. Sprinkle the ice water over your flour mixture and pulse again for about 5 seconds, just until it's moistened.
4. Transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it 2 or 3 times, just enough until it comes together. Pat it into a disk.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 16- to 17-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick.
6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the dough around your rolling pin, then unroll it onto the prepared sheet.
7. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of flour and sprinkle this over the dough.
8. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping concentric circles on top of the dough, leaving a 3-inch border.
9. Fold the dough edges over the apples in a rustic, free-form fashion.
10. Brush the apples with melted butter, then sprinkle them with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon.
11. Chill the whole tart in the fridge for about 10 minutes—this helps the crust stay flaky.
12. Preheat your oven to 400°F (about 200°C) while the tart chills.
13. Bake the tart in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and the crust is a deep golden brown.
14. While the tart is still warm from the oven, brush the apples with the melted apricot preserves for that gorgeous glaze.
15. Slide the parchment paper onto a wire rack and let your masterpiece cool slightly before diving in.

Cook's Notes

Don’t worry if your crust looks rustic; that’s the charm of a free-form tart. If you find your apples browning too quickly but the crust needs more time, cover the tart loosely with foil. It's best enjoyed the day it’s made, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for a day or two—just reheat in a low oven for that fresh-out-of-the-oven warmth.

• Make the dough ahead of time: You can prepare the dough a day in advance and refrigerate it, just bring it to room temperature before rolling out.
• Leftover Love: This tart can do double duty as a delightful breakfast treat with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Make It Your Own

• Swap the apples for pears for a slightly different, yet equally delicious tart.
• Sprinkle a handful of sliced almonds over the apples before baking for a nutty crunch.
• Feel like adding a kick? Mix a pinch of cardamom into the cinnamon for a warm spice twist.
• Go dairy-free by using a plant-based butter alternative for the crust.

If you try this, I'd love to hear how it turns out — drop a comment or tag me! Who knew a simple bowl of apples could lead to such a delightful treat?