Yes, it is as good as it looks

I saw this on America's Test Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and had to give it a try, it is an apricot glazed french apple tart.  

You need, a deep tart pan - I didn't own a deep one, I am glad Sur Le Table is close by. 

Pastry:
8- ounces of cold butter
2 1/2 + cups of all purpose flour 
Pinch of kosher salt
Sprinkle of sugar
4-5 tablespoons of ice cold water

Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and mix.  Add the  butter and blend until it forms a fine meal, add the water and blend until it starts to clump or form a ball.  Don't over blend, this only take a few seconds to blend in a food processor.  Pop the mix in the freezer for a couple of minutes. 

I roll it out on Parchment Paper, use extra flour under it and on top.  When the mix comes out of the food processor it will be loose and crumbly, that is fine, knead it slightly and it will form a ball. I line the bottom of the tart pan with baking parchment.  Roll out the pastry and line the tart pan.  Dock it with a fork or knife and blind bake it in a 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes.  You may have extra pastry depending on the size of the tart pan, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for you next project.  

For the filling:
2 to 2 1/2 pounds of apples  
3/4 cup of sugar - or to taste
2 tablespoons corn starch 
cinnamon 
1 cup +/- of Apricot preserves (about 3/4 of a standard jar) 

The apples in the tart end up in two layers, a top layer of wedges as you can see above, and bottom layer that is a chunky apple sauce. Quarter and core the apples. Slice into wedges.  I left the peels on.  Put the apples in water and bring to a boil.  You want them to cook just to the point that they start to soften.  Remove about half of the apples and place on a towel on a sheet pan to cool - these make the top layer of the tart.  Drain remaining water to just enough to cook the remaining apples and return to the heat, adding the sugar, corn starch and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Cook until the apples have softened, mash the apples to make a chunky apple sauce.   While the apples are cooking, warm the apricot preserves in a pan, when they start to bubble, force through a course sieve to separate the solids from the liquids.  Add the solids to the apple mix,  keep the liquid warm to glaze the top of the tart.    

When the tart shell starts to brown, remove from the oven.  Layer the chunky apple sauce in tart shell.  Arrange the remaining apples in concentric circles on top of the apple sauce, starting at the outside and working your way into the middle.  Glaze with the apricot liquids.

Return the pie to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until it starts to brown nicely. 

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks.