Ina Garten's Favorite Creation Is A 'Simple And Elegant' Dessert Recipe

How to bake an apple tart the Barefoot Contessa way

There has been considerable discussion about the distinctions between tarts and tortes, as well as tarts and galettes, all of which are delightful crusty desserts filled with sweetness. While the definitions can sometimes blur, Ina Garten's French Apple Tart recipe serves as a quintessential example of its type: an open-faced dessert featuring a puff pastry crust, succulent apple filling, and a sweet glaze, perfect for slicing and enjoying by hand.

If you want to streamline your apple tart baking with two pre-made ingredients, you can certainly do so. However, if you aim to replicate Garten's beloved recipe exactly as she does, be ready to prepare the dough from scratch. Once the dough is ready, assembling the tart is relatively straightforward. Garten uses sliced Granny Smith apples, sugar, and butter for the filling, and after baking, she brushes the entire pastry with a glaze made from sweet apricot jelly and Calvados, an apple brandy. For your convenience, you can find the complete recipe on her website.

As the name suggests, Garten's apple tart is rooted in French culinary traditions—no surprise, considering her well-known passion for this cuisine and her admiration for Julia Child, its iconic American figure. Interestingly, while Garten cherishes her own apple tart recipe, she also enjoys Trader Joe's French-inspired apple tart, which she enhances with a few personal touches. So, if you prefer a store-bought dessert over a homemade one, you can take comfort in knowing that Garten would still approve. After all, one of her most famous sayings is, "store-bought is fine."