Adapted from Julia Child Mastering the Art of French Cooking

For a 9-to 10 inch shell
1 1/3 cups flour
3 – 7 Tb granulated sugar
1/8 tsp double action baking powder
7 Tb fat: 5 Tb chilled butter and
2 Tb chilled vegetable shortening
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
½ tsp vanilla extract

Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly with the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into bits the size of small oatmeal flakes.
Blend in the egg and vanilla, and knead the dough rapidly into a ball.
Place on a pastry board and with the heel of your hand, not the palm, rapidly press the pastry by two spoonful bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches.
The dough will be sticky if you have used the full amount of sugar.
Form into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for a few hours, until firm.

For the Tart:
A 10-inch partially cooked pastry shell

4 lbs. firm cooking apples
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tb granulated sugar
Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enough to make 3 cups into even 1/8 inch lengthwise slices and toss them in a bowl with lemon juice and sugar. Reserve them for the top of the tart.

1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 Tb vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tb butter
½ tsp cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices, about 8 cups. Place in a pan and cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Beat in the above ingredients. Raise heat and boil, stirring, until apple-sauce is thick.
Spread the applesauce in the pastry shell. Cover with a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples arranged in a spiral.

Preheat oven 375 degrees:
Bake for about 30 minutes or until apples are lightly browned.

This recipe is so delicious and just happens to go well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Enjoy!

Source: Living the Gourmet