Fearrington Country Apple Tart

Adapted from a recipe from the award-winning restaurant at Fearrington House Country Inn in Fearrington Village, NC, (just south of Chapel Hill). I use my own posted recipe for the pie crust; you can use your own preferred crust recipe. This dessert does not have a double pie crust, but it does use an equivalent amount of dough so the Recipezaar program insists that I enter it that way; I make a whole recipe and freeze the other half for another use. Substitute your own favorite crust if you prefer. Good served with vanilla ice cream. How many servings the recipe yields depends on the size of the portions you cut--30 is the yield if you cut into 2 x 2 1/2-inch rectangles. Preparation time does not include the time to make the crust. (P.S. The water on the cookie sheet is supposed to keep the crust from shrinking.)

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 30

Ingredients

• 1  double crust pie crust (e.g., 1/2 recipe No-Fail Pie Crust dough)
• 1⁄4 cup  apricot preserves
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 5 -6  apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2  lemons, zest of, finely grated
• 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 2  tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Roll out pastry in a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with water and place pastry on it, folding in the edges 3/8 inch to make a straight rim.
2. Heat apricot preserves in a saucepan and brush over the pastry.
3. Arrange apples over pastry in a pleasant pattern of your choice.
4. Sprinkle with sugar, lemon zest and spices.
5. Dot with small dots of butter.
6. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes.
7. Cut into rectangular portions, your choice of size.