Apple Cranberry Nut Tart
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A tart merging tart apples with chewy dried apricots and toasted pecans. Butter browned, brown sugar bubbling, cinnamon’s warmth riding through. Layered with a lacy lattice, rustic tang meets crunch, sugar caramelizing edges. Substituting pecans for walnuts, dried apricots for cranberries; brown sugar swapped for coconut sugar, lending depth. Prep flows fast, but watch the skillet—fruit changes texture, darkens, softens. Oven temp slightly lowered; baking extended. A firm, flaky base catching juicy, sweet-tart filling. Difficult spots? Pasty edges that burn, damp bottom crust. Fixes included. This tart’s not tame, plenty personality; sweet, nutty, softly spiced, and handmade with flair.
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#fruit tart
#nut dessert
#baking tips
#brown butter
#lattice crust
#fall baking
Apples meet chewy apricots and crunchy pecans. Brown butter’s nutty scent fills kitchen; sugar melting into sticky pools. Lattice pie top a must—easier than it looks, if careful. Tried with walnuts and dried cranberries before but prefer pecans’ texture. Coconut sugar gives deeper caramel note than plain brown sugar. Tempting to cook apples long; stop at tenderness but with bite. Patience critical—overcooked fruit turns to mush, crust soggy. Lattice traps steam but lets steam escape in right amounts. Paging those who hate soggy bottoms—use sturdy dough, patch crust well. Expect some bubbling over; baking sheet protects the oven floor. Takes wrist, attention; rewarded with rustic sweet-tart crunch. Every attempt teaches something new. Your kitchen should smell like fall and cozy.
Ingredients
- 265 ml 1 1/8 cups pecans toasted and roughly chopped
- 125 ml 1/2 cup dried apricots chopped fine
- 25 ml 1 2/3 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
- 170 ml 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 50 ml 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1.4 liters 5 3/4 cups peeled cored sliced apples (Granny Smith and Fuji mix)
- 2 ml 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 pie crusts
- Milk for brushing
About the ingredients
Nuts can swap between walnuts pecans or even hazelnuts depending on crunch desired; toast first for nuttier flavor. Dried apricots replaced with dried cranberries, raisins, or cherries if you prefer tartness or sweetness tweaks. Coconut sugar replaces brown sugar to reduce moisture content, adds complex flavor but brown sugar works fine too; just watch for burning. Apples ideally a tart-firm blend; Granny Smiths hold shape better yet too sharp alone; Fuji or Gala soften and sweeten. Use good-quality unsalted butter browned slowly for richness; avoid margarine which alters texture and flavor. Fresh milk or cream for brushing; thick cream gives more sheen. Flour dusting stabilizes nut mixture, prevents soggy filling while coughing up a light binding. Two pie crusts home-made or store-bought; choose sturdy dough with butter or shortening for flakiness. Patience in dough chilling helps keep edges neat; unchilled dough shrinks during baking—major pain point.
Method
- 1 In a bowl combine pecans chopped apricots and flour. Hold aside.
- 2 Brown butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Swirling; once foam settles, add coconut sugar. It should bubble, thicken 2-3 minutes. Before burning, toss in sliced apples. Stir gently, soften 4-5 minutes. Apples will glisten but retain some shape. Sprinkle cinnamon. Toss in nut mixture, fold to coat. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
- 3 Position oven rack low to bottom third. Preheat oven to 190°C 375°F.
- 4 Roll one crust into a 9 tart pan. Press carefully, patch thin spots to avoid leaks. Fill with apple mixture evenly. Coat edges lightly with milk.
- 5 Cut second crust into 2 cm 3/4 inch strips. Brush milk on each. Weave lattice over filling tightly, sealing all edges neatly by pinching or using fork tines to avoid puffing or shrinks. Trim excess dough carefully.
- 6 Set tart on rimmed baking sheet to catch drips; tart can bubble over. Bake 42-45 minutes. Crust will brown golden but watch—darker spots signal near done. Filling will bubble and spill slightly, almost jammy but still fresh-tasting. Cool on rack; flavors settle while tart firms.
- 7 Serve warm or cooled for firmer slices.
Cooking tips
Nuts apricots mix first to prepare dry stabilizer is to keep filling from seeping liquid. Brown butter carefully swirled in pan; do not let burn, oxygen encourages nutty notes. Sugar addition bubbles quick; swirl off heat if darkening fast. Apples sliced evenly cook uniform. Don’t overcook mushy, look for softened but intact slices. Cinnamon additions can be tweaked — more or less to taste, vital for warmth. Patch crust spots to prevent leakage, especially bottom no holes or juice destroys base. Milk brushed edges create barrier to seal dough; wet edges brown lighter. Lattice strips spaced and woven tight; loose lattice shrinks oddly. Rimmed baking sheet essential—expect bubbling over; avoid oven mess. Bake time flexible, keep eye on crust color glossy golden with small dark flecks hint crispness. Cooling on rack important; filling thickens reducing juice leakage during cuts. Warm or cold serve based on preference; warm slices softer and juicy; cold slices firmer for neat cuts. Backups include shield edges with foil if browning too fast mid-bake. If lattice shrinking, chill dough before cutting and assembling. When mixing filling, don’t over stir apples; breaks surfaces, causes mush. If crust soggy mid-bake, prick base with fork or use blind baking before filling.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Toast pecans first. Darken lightly to bring out nutty aroma. Avoid burnt bits or bitter notes. Chop roughly; too fine clumps up filling. Mix nuts with apricots and flour before adding to softened apples. Flour helps catch juices. Keep nuts separate from heat to keep crunch intact.
- 💡 Brown butter carefully. Heat medium low. Swirl pan while it foams. Stop before it burns; smell shifts from sweet to sharp fast. Add coconut sugar once foam settles; sugar bubbles fast. Stir quick; color darkens slightly but dont scorch. Add apples immediately. Timing controls caramel notes and moisture.
- 💡 Use sturdy dough with enough fat. Butter or shortening. Too soft dough puckers or leaks. Patch thin spots firmly to prevent filling burst through. Chill dough well before rolling. If lattice shrinking, chill strips before weaving. Milk brush edges prevent dough puffing, crust browns lighter, acts like glue.
- 💡 Skillet apple cooking needs attention. Stir gently. Cook 4-5 mins max or apples turn mushy. Should soften and glisten but shape holds. Cinnamon goes last to keep aroma fresh but still meld tenderly. Nut mixture folds in off heat to avoid softening nuts or excess juice run-off.
- 💡 Bake tart on rimmed sheet. Filling bubbles over edges. Sheet saves oven spills. Watch crust color for doneness: golden with some darker spots means crisp edges. Cool on rack to let juices thicken; messier when sliced warm but softer texture. Cold slices cut cleaner but denser. Adjust bake time with oven quirks.
Common questions
Can I replace pecans?
Walnuts work well; similar texture but less sweet. Hazelnuts too but toast longer. Texture changes; toast all nuts first or tart loses crunch. Avoid oily nuts that burn easily. Balance nut quantity so filling not mushy.
What if apples get mushy?
Stop stirring early. Cook till tender but firm. Apple variety matters; Granny Smith hold better. Mix sweet softer apples to balance tartness. Overcooked apples release juice; soggy crust follows. Use stirring pace and heat control to keep structure.
Why does crust shrink or leak?
Dough needs chilling or it retracts. Patch holes well before filling. Thin spots fail under fruit weight. Milk brush seals edges preventing juice escape. Blind bake base if soggy happens. Prick bottom fork to vent steam, keeps bottom crisp.
How to store leftovers?
Wrap loosely to avoid soggy crust. Refrigerate up to 3 days gives firmer slices but dulls aroma. Room temp soft but more fragile. Reheat gently in oven restores crispness. Freeze by wrapping tightly; thaw baked tart in fridge overnight.
