Apple Tart

A mini-tart for a small homecoming ... SB and my brothers were hiking up around Mount Cardigan for the past couple days. What started out as a nice Spring hike turned into a windblown, cold, and raw slog up over and along the ridge of Cardigan and on to its sister peak. They had a good time and stayed in a lodge, so the 'roughing it' was minimal, but they sure looked happy to be back where it's warm and snug ... in my kitchen.

I was hoping the guys would stay for an early dinner, but they are eager to get home to their families. We all chatted as I put the tart together and then, they got on the road back to New York. So Hiel and I will have to choke this tart down ... it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. Right?

This recipe comes from Joy of  Baking's website ... I tried to lighten it up a bit. There is minimal sugar in the crust and apples. The filling is made with Neufchatel cheese to lessen the fat content a bit. It IS a dessert, though, so I'll be eating salads to make up for the splurge. C'est la vie!

Apple Tart

Butter an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan and set it aside.

Place in a food processor bowl and pulse just until the dough starts to form a clump:

1 c. flour
⅓ c. confectioner’s sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Turn the dough into the prepared pan and press up the sides about 1 inch and over the bottom to form the crust. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour while you preare the tart filling.

Using the same food processor bowl, add and pulse until a smooth batter is formed:

8 oz. brick of Neufchatel cheese
1 large egg
¼ c. sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, toss together:

4 medium-sized baking apples that have been peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼ -inch slices
¼ tsp. cinnamon,
¼ tsp. cardamom
¼ c. sugar
a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest

In a small fry pan, toast:

¼ c. sliced almonds
½ tsp. butter

To assemble and bake tart:

Preheat oven to 425 ° F.

Turn the cheese filling into the bottom of the prepared tart shell.

Arrange the apples over the cheese and egg filling.

Sprinkle the almonds over the top of the apples .

Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes at 425° F. Then, turn the oven temperature down to 375° and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Cover the tart of the almonds start to brown up too much.

Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edge pf the pan, loosen the spring form and plate the tart. Let it cool a bit more and sprinkle confectioner’s sugarover the top for decoration. Serve  warm with  hot coffee or tea.