Country Apple Tart

As many of you know, my husband and I live on an orchard in the Santa Rosa Valley, Ca.  We have many avocado trees and all types of citrus and apple trees.  With an abundance of apples, we love to enjoy homemade applesauce, apple pancakes, apple cake, apple pie and apple tart.

The first twelve years of my life, I grew up in a pretty development on land that was formerly a large apple orchard (“Apple Valley”) on the East Coast.  Every home sat on several acres of land surrounded by numerous apple trees.   As a result, during apple season, I loved to cook and bake all things apple with my Mom.  Now, whenever I make anything with apple, I’m immediately reminded of my childhood, of my Mom, my Dad, brothers and sister, and off all the great times we shared and continue to share.

In fact, to me, there’s really nothing quite as wonderful and comforting as entering a kitchen where the enticing aroma of apple (usually always accompanied by the spice cinnamon), is baking. Now, I’m proud and happy to carry on this apple baking tradition with my family in California.

Enjoy this recipe with your family and friends during the Thanksgiving and December holiday season.  Serve it warm with a dollop of your favorite ice cream (my favorite is dairy free – SoDelicious German Chocolate or Vanilla Bean). NOTE: To make this RECIPE Vegan, skip the honey! You can use 1-2 packets of organic Stevia if you wish!

The Spencer Orchard

The Spencer Orchard

Yummy Country Apples!

For this recipe you will need a tart pan!

Country Apple Tart

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 12 mins

Total time

1 hour 27 mins

 

Author: Maryann Ridini Spencer

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 pre-prepared organic pie crust (at room temperature)
• 5 good sized Fuji, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious or other sweet apple
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• freshly squeezed juice from one large lemon
• 1 T. butter
• ½ tsp. lemon extract
• ¼ c. dried cranberries
• ¼ c. slivered almonds
• 2 T. honey
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• Tart top:
• 6 good sized Fuji, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious or other sweet apple
• freshly squeezed juice from one large lemon
• 1 T. butter
• ½ tsp. lemon extract
• 2 T. honey
• ground cinnamon
• Equipment:
• Tart pan
• Wax paper
• Scissors
• Potato Masher
• Spatula
• 2-3 large mixing bowls

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Remove the bottom round of the tart pan and place it on wax paper.
3. Trace the bottom round of the tart pan (on the wax paper) with a pencil.
4. With a scissor, cut the wax paper and set aside the wax paper round.
5. Unfold pastry dough and place into the tart pan. With your fingers, gently manipulate the dough up the sides of the tart pan. Make sure that no dough is folded over the sides of the pan.
6. Place the wax paper round on the dough in the bottom of the pan.
7. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes until the moisture has gone out of the dough. The dough will also be a very light golden.
8. Remove pan from the oven and let it cool.
9. Take wax paper off of the crust and throw away.
10. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F.
11. In a large bowl, add in the juice of one lemon. Set aside.
12. Core, peel 6 and slice apples into thin half moons. As you peel and slice place apples in a large bowl of lemon juice (mixing them around so the apples don't turn brown).
13. On a stovetop in a skillet over low heat, add butter.
14. When butter has melted, add in apples and lemon juice. Mix.
15. Add in honey, lemon extract, almonds, dried cranberries, lemon zest, lemon extract, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix.
16. Cook apples until they are soft, approximately 12 minutes.
17. Remove cooked apples from stovetop and place in a large bowl. Mash apples into small pieces with the potato masher.
18. Pour apple mixture into the tart pan and spread around mixture evenly with a spatula.
19. The Tart Topping:
20. Put freshly squeezed lemon juice into a large bowl.
21. Peel, core and slice apples into half moons. As you peel and slice each apple, put them into the bowl of lemon juice and mix the apple slices around in the lemon juice.
22. On the stovetop in the skillet over low heat, add in butter. When butter has melted, add apples, lemon extract, honey and cinnamon. Mix.
23. Cook apples for approximately 10 minutes until they are soft, but not crumbly. Remove pan from heat.
24. When the apples have cooled, take one apple slice at a time and starting from the outside edge of the pan, arrange the apple pieces around the top of the tart (with pieces going in the same direction). Once you’ve made your way around the outside of the pan, continue with an inner circle until you have lined the top of the tart with the apple pieces.
25. Place tart in the oven at 375 degrees F for approximately 25-30 minutes.
26. Serve immediately with a dollop of So Delicious Dairy Free (made from Coconut Milk) Ice Cream. My favorite is German Chocolate or Vanilla Bean.

Notes

MAKE APPLE CINNAMON ROLLUPS WITH LEFTOVER DOUGH: If you have left over pastry dough, place all the dough together and form a circle. Unroll a piece of wax paper on the countertop. Lightly flour. Place dough on the top of the wax paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out onto the paper. Take little pieces of butter and place around the top of the dough, sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the dough, drizzle honey over the top of the dough, if you have extra apple pieces, place them over the dough as well. Take one end of the dough and roll forward forming one long tube. Seal the dough ends with your fingers. Take a sharp knife and cut the dough into 1 ½” circles. With a little olive oil or coconut oil, grease a cookie sheet and place circles on the pan. Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or so until the dough rises and is golden.

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