Ingredients
- For the Tarts:
- 1 recipe Perfect Apple Pie Filling with Cinnamon and Cognac
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts from at 16.7-ounce package
- For the Oatmeal Crumble Topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted by not hot
- For the Perfect Apple Pie Filling with Cinnamon and Cognac:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 pounds crisp, firm apples such as Granny Smith, cored, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick, about 12 heaping cups
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Step 1
For the Tarts:
Prepare Perfect Apple Pie Filling with Cinnamon and Cognac and refrigerate. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, mix the flour, oatmeal, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the butter with a fork until well combined then use your fingers to form clumps.
Unroll one of the refrigerated pie doughs and place it onto one side of a 12 X 18-inch baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. Spoon half of the apple filling onto the dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Bring pie dough over filling, pleating it to fit. Sprinkle a portion of the crumble topping over the exposed filling.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough, filling and crumble. Bake until golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly, serve warm with ice cream if you’d like. The tart can be made several hours ahead of time and warmed in a 300 degree F oven for 15 minutes.
For the Perfect Apple Pie Filling with Cinnamon and Cognac:
Mix sugar, cinnamon, and salt; toss with the apples. Heat butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it looks pale nutty brown. Add apple mixture; cover and cook until the apples soften and release their juices, about 7 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until juices thicken to a light syrup, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch, brandy, and vanilla in 1 cup of water. Stir into apple mixture until it thickens, less than a minute. Transfer apples to a jelly roll pan to cool quickly. Refrigerate or set in a cool place until apples cool to room temperature.