Archive for fruit desserts

Apple Custard Tart

November 12, 2012 apple crisp, apple tart, Apples, autumn recipes, desserts, fruit desserts, tart No comments

Having gone apple picking last weekend and given into my uncontrollable urge to fill the bushel bags with reckless abandon, I have a serious glut of apples in my house.  I’ve shared them generously and forcefully with friends, neighbors, and total strangers, and we’ve consumed a goodly share ourselves.  But the fridge is still overstocked with apples.

So I’ve been actively seeking apple recipes, and was delighted to find this brown butter apple tart in Bon Appetit this month.  I reviewed the recipe and was dismayed to discover that the crust was a two-day, rolling pin affair–I loathe rolling dough.

“Forsooth”, said I, “My magic dough will fare just as well.”  And it did.  One other simplification tactic I used:  no need to core the apples and slice them into rings as BA suggests.  This is a total pain, and risks slicing fingers as well as apples.  I started with this thankless enterprise and promptly abandoned it.  Just cut the apples as you normally would but make thinner slices.

The baked custard filling of this tart gives it more depth and richness than a typical pie, crisp or tart.  It starts with vanilla beans and butter–but if you don’t have vanilla beans, you can melt and brown the butter solo and add vanilla extract to the egg custard mixture in the bowl.

For the crust:

Magic Dough:

2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups flour

Beat with mixer til dough forms crumbly bits the size of lentils.  Press dough into bottom and up sides of 9 inch tart pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and proceed with brown butter apple tart recipe.

Note:  This is the same dough we use in our raspberry bars, and fruit tarts.  It can also be rolled into logs and sliced into shortbread cookies.  See why we call it magic?

How to Make a Cherry Tart

August 2, 2012 cherry tart, fruit desserts, simple recipes, Summer No comments

With summer fruits bursting at every market and farm stand, I am always tempted to buy too much.   Which is good and bad; it encourages consumption of a supremely delicious and healthy snack, but the fruit is only good for a short time and will rot if left to sit.

I had a surfeit of farm stand cherries last week, having been seduced by the rustic wooden bucket of them for a relatively modest price.  We ate our fill of them, but even with steady consumption, after 3 days, the remaining half bucket began to look tired.  Swift action was needed, and I concocted this very simple tart, riffing on the raspberry bar recipe we posted earlier this year. 

Crust

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup flour

Filling:

2 cups pitted cherries have been a success
2 TBSP  brown sugar
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP water
sprinkle of cinnamon if desired

Heat oven to 350. 

Prepare fruit–if you’re pitting cherries, get comfortable;  this task is kind of the pits.

Place pitted cherries in skillet with other filling ingredients and cook over med-low until juice is rendered and cherries are very soft, approximately 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dough.  Mix all ingredients on medium speed until dough is crumbly and just starting to hold together.  Place 2/3 of dough into an ungreased fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; press dough firmly into bottom and up sides of pan about 1/2 inch.  Pour fruit mixture into tart.  Crumble remaining dough over the fruit and press gently into the tart.  Bake 40 minutes until crust and topping begin to brown.   Serve with mascarpone whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.