RECIPE: QUICK APPLE TART WITH PUFF PASTRY CRUST

I frequently make homemade pie crust and my Rustic Apple Tart is always a hit. But what if you don't have the 1 hour you need to let the pie crust chill? Well, you can make a beautiful and utterly fabulous bake shop worthy apple tart in minutes! Top it with ice cream and - well- it is just hard to beat.  I recently made this recipe during my demo at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland, Ohio and have had a ton of requests for the recipe--so here you go!

Quick Apple Tart with Puff Pastry Crust

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QUICK APPLE TART WITH PUFF PASTRY CRUST

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup granulated sugar

pinch of allspice

pinch of kosher salt

pinch of ground black pepper

2 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced thin with a mandolin(Braeburn work well)

1 lemon, juiced

1 sheet of packaged puff pastry, thawed to package direction

2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup Confectioners sugar (maybe a bit more depending on the size of the tart)

DIRECTIONS: 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer for the puff pastry, usually 400F.  

Mix the granulated sugar, allspice, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Set aside. 

Pell and slice the apples and squeeze the lemon juice over them to stop any browning.  

Dust your work surface with a bit of the flour and rolling pin. Lightly roll out the puff pastry and then use a dinner plate as a template to cut it into a circle. (you can make a square but the round is prettier- square more rustic) Place onto the prepared baking sheet.

Dock (prick holes in it) the puff pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much during the cooking process.  

Place the apple slices on a paper towel to blot off excess moisture before you begin to arrange them on the puff pastry. Arrange the apples in a circle; start on the outside and work towards the inside, slightly overlapping as you go. Use a pastry brush to cover the entire surface of the apples with the softened butter. Cover that with the sugar mixture.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender.

Remove and immediately dust the top of the apples with the Confectioners sugar using a fine mesh sieve. Use a torch to caramelize the sugar or put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Serve with a scoop of Dulce de Leche or caramel ice cream. 

FIND MORE PUFF PASTRY RECIPES!  

JUSTIN'S BOOK PARTY FROM NYCWFF 2015

I was in New York for New York City Wine and Food Festival last week and one of my favorite events of the weekend was Justin Warner's Sunday morning wine pairing seminar with Josh Wesson. I learned a lot about wine but I also learned about why our taste buds taste what they do and what happens when certain things get together; especially opposite flavors like salty and sweet for example. That is the premise of Justin's new book, The Laws of Cooking and How to Break Them with forward by our Food Network Star mentor, Alton Brown.

The book is clever, witty and fun--- and it explores thoughts about food that I've never even considered.

Justin signed a copy of the book for me during the event... and when I got home, the copy I pre-ordered from Amazon had arrived. I'm going to give my extra copy along with a copy of my own book, Birmingham's Best Bites, to someone who really, really wants them.

Here's how to win...

Comment below with your favorite salty and sweet food combination (mine is salted caramel) before 6pm Central time on Sunday, October 25th. I'll put all of names in a bowl and draw a winner. Good luck!

(Disclaimer: No purchase necessary to win. Only those who comment below with their favorite sweet and salty food combination by the deadline will be eligible. Winner will be drawn at random. Martie Knows Parties will assume mailing costs within the 48 Continental US states only.)

FALL FLOWERS: EASY ARRANGEMENTS WITH PUMPKINS AND GOURDS

Fall decorating supplies are expensive so I make my own decorations to keep the cost low. Head to the farmer's market to find everything you will need for a fall party or Thanksgiving holiday decorations. Pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes and colors are everywhere and it seems each year there are wildly varied new species just waiting to be made into a beautiful or scary decoration.

The colors are so vibrant--- and the yellows, oranges, rich reds, dark coppers and browns just say fall, don't you think? I brought home our haul and started hollowing out gourds. The large gourds are perfect for vases and the small gourds are ideal containers for votives and tea lights. You can use them two ways as shown below.

To make the candle holder: Use a paring knife to cut the top off of the gourd then scoop out the inside. You can put the tea light into the bottom of the gourd, which accomplishes two things. It keeps the wind from blowing out the flame and it results in a softer glow. You can also fit the tea light into the top of the gourd. Use a crossed toothpick inside the gourd to keep the candle from falling inside like I did in the picture below.

For flower arrangements: I was lucky enough to find a farmer selling bittersweet. I love bittersweet-- these yellow and orange berrylike branches. They are perfect for centerpieces and look great in the yard as an accent to mums and other fall flowers. These are a mix of flowers from the yard and a few I picked up at the florist.

Some gourds may leak so I filled a plastic zip-top bag with cool water, cut the flower stems on an angle and put them inside. Wrap below the sight line with a rubber band to keep it secure and put the arrangement inside the gourd.

You may try using Vaseline petroleum jelly on the outside of the pumpkin or gourd to slow deterioration. Just rub a bit on a cloth and polish the outside of the gourd. You can also do this on the inside of your pumpkin after you hollow it out to retard deterioration.