To prepare my thesis degree for the University, I lived in Strasbourg for few months. The city is very pretty but not particularly hospitable; actually, I felt lonely and sad.
In one of my pilgrimages between the European Parliament and the university, I discovered a diner. Lighting!!! I ate one of the best apple pies in the world. Obviously, it became my fixed place and eventually I managed to “circumvent” the cook to get me the recipe.

Streusel Tart

  • Preparation time: 90 minutes
  • Ingredients for a 7 7⁄8 inch tart pan
  • Difficulty: Average difficulty recipe

  • Ingredients
  • For the pastry:
  • 250 gr or 9 oz of pastry flour
  • 110 gr or 4 oz of powdered sugar
  • 110 gr or 4 oz of butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • For the stuffing:
  • 4 apples
  • 3 eggs
  • 240 gr or 1 cup of cream
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar
  • For the streusel:
  • 110 gr or 4 oz of powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon
  • 50 gr or 2 oz of chopped almonds
  • 50 gr or 2 oz of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of flour
  1. Instructions
  2. In a bowl, whisk the butter with the powdered sugar. Add the egg and then the flour and salt. Stir quickly. Roll up the mixture and cover it with cellophane. Put it to rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour (better if twelve hours).
  3. Spread the dough between two sheets of baking paper. Leave it in the refrigerator for about ten minutes to make it cold again.
  4. Peel the apples and cut them into thin wedges.
  5. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a bowl. When it swells, add the milk cream.
  6. Put a very cold pastry dough in a buttered and floured tart cake tin. Prick the base with a fork. Arrange the cut apples in a radial pattern and pour in the egg mixture.
  7. Bake at 325 °F for thirty minutes.
  8. Meanwhile prepare the streusel. Melt the butter and add the sugar, chopped almonds, and flour to the heat. The dough should be “crumbly.”
  9. Remove the tart from the oven and pour over the streusel crumbs.
  10. Bake again for ten minutes at 350 °F.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • The flour for the pastry is a weak one with a maximum of 8% protein. This will ensure that you do not develop a gelatinous mess. For this same reason, the dough should be hardly worked.
  • The amount of cinnamon for the streusel depends on the taste. To me, as can be seen from the photograph, I like it a lot and so I heap it on. The amount may be decreased if desired.
  • The baking time will vary because each oven cooks differently. The pastry should not darken too much.