Every year, I wind up with that one gift I’m just so excited to give. A few years ago, that was a homemade quilt I made for a friend, one year it was a tiny gold band for my sister, and last year, it was the trip to Disney we secretly planned for our kids. This year, I’ve taken all of my good ideas and plopped them on today’s post: a gift guide for every girl on your list! But that’s not the only yummy thing we’re serving- we also have a seriously delish brown butter apple tart complete with a buttery pastry crust, a brown butter custard filling, and spiced apples. With the holidays just around the corner, let’s not waste any time- let’s dive in!

First up: the gift guide. Initially I was going to curate this list for one specific type of woman- maybe a baker, a mom, an amateur home cook, etc, but let’s be honest: no one’s list is that homogenous. Instead, I took a handful of the women in my life, along with some of the gifts I’m planning to buy for them, and curated a gift guide fit for just about anyone: the fancy girl, a beauty-minded friend, an outdoorsy sister, or a book-loving mother-in-law. Whoever she is, I hope you find something wonderful of this year’s gift guide. Take a peek below!

For the Clean Freak: Follain’s Everything Soap is safe (and clean!) for everything: hands, dishes, pets, counters, and more.
For the Girl Who Has Everything: Tizo’s line of crystal vases are stunning. Add a few buds and voila- a gift any girl could make room for!
For the DIY-er: For a crafty girl, a gift she can make and use is the gift that keeps on giving. Check out this blanket making kit for your DIY friends!
For the Fancy Pants: If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, cashmere is the friend that girls call when diamonds are busy. This cashmere and wool wrap is a cozy treat for your friends with refined taste.
For the Sentamentalist: Lockets are timeless, but I think we can agree they’re definitely having a moment in 2021. This classic design from The Clear Cut is a clear winner, if you ask me.
For the Girl Who Is Always Put Together: The pop-on nails you wore as a kid got a glow-up. These reusable pop-on nails have taken the beauty industry by storm!
For the Bartender: These bar glasses from Zwiesel are stunning and the perfect size for all of your favorite cocktails.
For the New Homeowner: Ruggable’s machine washable and customizable doormats and both cute and practical!
For the Reader: Had to sneak this one one here- HER DAILY BREAD, my first book!
For the Product Junkie: I bought Ranavat’s Mighty Majesty Hair Serum after a friend told me it would help with postpartum hair loss. I haven’t been disappointed!
For the Friend Who Can’t Keep Up with Trends: This boot from Marc Fisher adds an updated, chunky heel twist to the Chelsea boot style many of us have grown comfortable with.
For the Girl Who Can Pull Off Any Hat: Anthopologie’s Pick-A-Pom hat is back! You pick your hat base, add a pom pom, and repeat!
For the Hostess with the Mostess: The most beautiful champagne/drink bucket for the girl who keeps your social calendar full!

Now that you’ve found the perfect gift for every girl on your list, let’s move onto our next main event: this brown butter apple tart!

I set out to make this brown butter apple tart as an alternative to apple pie. Don’t get me wrong- I love apple pie as much as the next person, but there’s something so wonderful about a pretty, open-face tart with a fluted pastry crust. Here, a buttery and lightly sweetened pastry crust is filled with a brown butter custard and topped with beautifully sliced apples. Slices are best served warm with a little ice cream, whipped cream, or creme anglais, but they’re wonderful as is, too.

Apples do matter for this brown butter apple tart. I recommend golden delicious, braeburn, or jonagolds, as their skin will soften without the flesh turning mushy and the apple taste is bright and defined. And for more on browning butter, you can check out my tutorial here. Give this dessert (and gift guide!) a go-around and let me know what you think! I hope you all have a special and delicious Thanksgiving week- Happy Baking!

If you like this brown butter apple tart you should check out:

Brown Butter Pear Tart
Cheddar Apple Pie
Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Crumb Bars

Brown Butter Apple Tart

Print Recipe

This brown butter apple tart features a sweetened pastry crust, a brown butter filling, and spiced apples on top!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 50
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 9 servings
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

• 1–1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter
• 1 large egg yolk, white reserved
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of ice water, plus more as needed

For the filling:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

For the apples:

• 4 large golden delicious, Braeburn, or Jonagold apples, cored sliced into 1/8” sliced
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

To prepare the pastry dough:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse in the butter until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Don’t over-process. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolkd and vanilla. Pulse the egg yolk mixture into the flour just until combined. Add the water and pulse to combine. Don’t process it to the point of it coming together into a dough. The mixture should still be shaggy but should clump together when you squeeze a bit of the mixture together in between your fingers. If it’s still dry add another teaspoon or so of ice water and then pulse to combine. Dump the mixture out onto a clean work surface and bring the dough together into a ball. Flatten it out into a disk, wrap it is plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but preferably 2 hours.

To prepare the tart:

1. When ready to prepare your pie, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to fit into a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom. The dough should be about 2” larger than the pan on all sides. Roll the dough onto your lightly floured rolling pin and gently unroll it into your tart pan. Gently fit the dough into the edges of your pan and use a paring knife or kitchen scissors to trim any dough that extends over 1” the lip of the pan. Press the dough gently into the sides of the pan and use any leftover dough to reinforce the sides where needed. Put the pan in the freezer to set up for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. When ready to bake, prick the bottom of the tart dough with a fork a few times. Use a sheet of parchment to line the pastry dough inside the pan and f ill the tart pan with pie weights (you can also use dried beans or dried rice). Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes then remove the parchment and weights from the tart pan. Gently brush the crust with a thin layer of the egg white and bake for 5 more minutes. 
3. In the meantime, prep your filling: Cube the butter and add to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan to being browning it. Place the pan on medium heat and stir gently with a whisk regularly to allow the butter to melt evenly. Once melted, keep stirring regularly to allow the butter to cook, sizzle, and foam evenly. You’ll begin to notice golden flecks appearing at the bottom of the pan and the butter will become fragrant. When there are amber-colored flecks throughout the butter mixture your butter is browned! Don’t let it burn! Immediately remove it from the heat and pour into a heat-safe mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract and then fold in the flour. Pour the mixture into the par-baked pastry shell and spread to even it out. 
4. Prepare the apples by tossing together the sliced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Arrange the slices on top of the brown butter filling according to your preferences. Bake in the preheated oven for an additional 35 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling it cooked underneath. Serve cooled slices with ice cream or whipped cream!