Julia Child's Preferred Apples For Holding Their Shape In Tarts

Be it a shortcut recipe featuring store-bought ingredients for a lazy weekday dessert or an elaborate recipe with fancy toppings for a festive gathering, there's no denying the magic of a warm slice of apple tart served with a scoop of ice cream. But the key ingredient holding all together has to be the best apple variety for baked goods for the optimal result. The last thing you want is a mushy apple tart that falls apart and doesn't hold its shape, and in an old season 7 episode of "The French Chef," host and culinary icon Julia Child shares a thought or two on the best apple variety for a structurally sound slice.

In general, Child's top choices share an ability to hold their structure when cooked and a nice balance between sweet and tart. Three of her go-to varieties were Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, and York Imperial, though your choice may vary depending on where you live and the respective availability of the apples. In regions where canning apples is prominent, you may come across Greenings, Newtons, or Monroes, which are a bit firmer and more tart. But it's no surprise the culinary icon enjoys using some lesser-known apple varieties like Baldwins, Northern Spies, and Cortlands, which lie somewhere in between. Though Child doesn't mention them in this episode, a number of apple tart recipes inspired by her version use Granny Smith apples, which are a popular choice in American-style apple tarts for a touch of tartness and firm texture. You can also feel free to play around with different combinations of firm apple varieties. Child advised steering clear of mushy apple varieties like Gravenstein or MacIntosh because they're juicy apples with soft flesh that lead to a watery tart.

Fun fact: The first documented recipe for an apple tart was in a French cookbook published in the late 14th century. That's how you know you're in good hands with the French Chef herself, Julia Child, when it comes to whipping up delicious apple tarts. A perfectly delectable apple tart begins with the right choice of apple, but it doesn't end there. Once you've chosen the right variety (or varieties) for the task, a significant portion of the heavy lifting has been done, but it's not over. When storing the apples, Child recommended keeping them in the fridge at about 34 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. If you pre-slice them, stir them with the juice of a lemon, grated lemon peel, and some sugar to help retain the apples' color and prevent browning and draw out some of the juices you don't want to put in your pie.

That's especially helpful because apple-based desserts are easily ruined by excess juices that can bubble out of the dessert when baking in the oven, leaving quite a mess. Plus, more juice means a longer cooking time and a longer wait for the tart to cool down and dig in. Removing any excess juices makes for an efficient and clean bake. Lastly, don't shy away from seasoning the apple filling with cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or even some unconventional choices like black pepper and allspice for some added nuance. Make sure not to overfill the pie crust, because as the filling expands during the cooking process, it can bubble over, leaving a mess while the tart is left unevenly baked with a soggy crust form the excess moisture in the filling.