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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Hey! Who You Calling A Tart . . . Again?

At the request of Lady Katharine of Tea Parlor fame, I'm linking this post (from Sunday 11/7) to her Tea Time Tuesday meme on 11/9.  But I just had to add a picture of a tea cup!

 And now wouldn't a bit of that Apple Tart go down a treat at this little tea party?
Aynsley china and a teapot from Windsor Castle, in our parlor last spring.
Visit Lady Katherine; link is at the end of the post.  She is the very dearest of ladies.
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(From November 5, 2009)

Here we have them -- The Gang of Four.
Four un-loved apples, rescued from the refrigerator crisper,
and looking slightly the worse for not being fresh off the tree.

Some apples are beautiful.

Some, as you see, are not.

We're going to take these round little sows' ears and turn them into lovely silk purses.

But since no one really wants to eat a silk purse,
especially one made from pig ears, we will make an Apple Tart instead.

Let's begin:


My Mom taught me to slice my raw apples directly into the pie plate, before putting in the crust,
to make sure I had enough filling because it cooks down so much.

We're not doing that today.  We'll just eyeball the quantity of apples needed.
As it turns out, we only need to execute 3 of them.  The 4th is given a reprieve by the Governor.


This is the hardest part of making an Apple Tart.  No, not hardest.  Most tedious.  Why can't apples peel and slice themselves when you want them to?  Probably for the same reasons that nice clean dishes won't hop out of the dishwasher and put themselves away.

Wouldn't that be cool?  I'd totally buy dishes that could do that, and sell all my others on Ebay.

Okay, next!
Cue the action shot and . . .
sugar the apples.  You have to taste them to see how much sugar you need.
Me, I like a tart tart.  Get it?  Tart tart?  I crack myself up.

Then pile on the cinnamon.  Again, your choice.
Less cinnamon than sugar.

Finally, a bit of flour to thicken the juices.  Use your judgment.

More flour if the apples are very juicy.



Toss in a pinch of salt, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if the apples are very sweet.
Take your crust -- confession: I used a refrigerated crust for this --
so it was simply a matter of patting it into place on the baking sheet.

Dump your nicely spiced and sugared apples onto the middle of the dough, and then
take the edges of the dough and pull them up over the apples,
pinching as you go to keep the dough tight around the filling.

You leave the center nekkid of crust.



Now, into a 375-degree oven.   Baking is magic.  Alchemy.
It will take about 45 - 50 minutes to get the tart nice and browned.
But watch it!  Ovens and apples vary wildly.



I use a stoneware baking sheet to crisp up the dough:



It's no great beauty, but it will be warm and juicy and delicious.

See?


Okay, one piece gone.  Who is next?



Now, I think I'll see what I can do with a couple of past-their-prime pears. . . . -- Cass

P.S.  Mr. Dion DiPoochy appreciates all the nice comments he has gotten from people who tell him he is cute; he is basking in the attention.  He insisted on being a part of this post.  He thinks this means he will also get a piece of Apple Tart.   He is mistaken in this.  But that's all right; he will just go back to sleep on his Wally Bed, next to my desk and right next to the steam radiator.  Doggy heaven.


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And we are back in 2010!

I honestly don't know if I'll get a chance to make an apple tart today; we are in the midst of actually painting the kitchen cupboards.  It took all my nerve to put that first stroke of primer on that oak!  But I think -- hope -- know -- I'm going to love those cabinets in all their painted glory.

Please visit the blog parties, below, and if you come back tomorrow our new shed will be sporting its bling.
Or what passes for bling when you are a shed.

It's kind of like Pimp My Shed.  Only not.

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I am linking this post to 3 blog parties.

Join Lady Katherine for Tea Time Tuesday.  Click here!

Chari at Happy To Design hosts Sunday Favorites every, well, Sunday.  Click here to visit or join!
And it's Seasonal Sundays with The Tablescaper.  Click here to visit or join.
Thanks to both bloggers for their Sunday memes.


26 comments:

  1. Your rustic Pie Tart looks so very good. I bet it was delicious. Your Cavelier is so cute too. I always enjoy seeing him in you pics.

    Carolyn/A Southerners Notebok

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  2. The tart looks great, I have some sad apples in the kitchen...

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  3. There's nothing like apple tarts (or pies) in October and November!!!!

    I had the same dread about painting our oak cabinets -- it took years to do it and then after I did it I could have kicked myself for not doing it sooner!!!! Painted cabinets are more appropriate for an old house methinks!

    Can't wait to see your finished kitchen -- I'm sure I will be green!

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  4. You cracked me up in this re-post, Cass. You are quite the comedienne. I have a few "on their way out" apples sitting in my bowl on the counter. This would make a perfect little treat for us mid-day. Glad you posted this. BTW-Your Monsieur Dion is a cutie-pie dog. :-)
    ~ Sue

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  5. Enjoyed your post~ I'm inspired to do the same to my "past their peak" apples! Your hopeful furry companion is a beauty! Good luck with the cabinets :-)

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  6. ooh yum! I have been making tarts instead of pies lately as it is just Mr. Hip and I. I can make a smaller tart than I can a pie.

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  7. I've never had an apple tart, but my, that looks SO delicious! This is the time of year for apple and pumpkin desserts!
    Hugs, Beth

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  8. I've made plenty of apple pies but never a tart. Looks great...
    What's a girl to do that only has two sad apples..??..a Tart for Two? :))

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  9. My pile of sad apples is diminishing. I have a few left. We are sick of apple cobbler...I think this tart can make that TART and it will do the trick! (get it? Tart making a Tart?>0 never mind) Hugs- Diana

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  10. Thank you for the recipe for my sad apples, of which I have more than a few. How delicious, and I really enjoyed the pictorial progress of the process.

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  11. Beautiful tart. I have so many apples this year. This is so gorgeous. I haven't made a rustic tart for a while and I love the looks of them. This would be great for the family tonight.

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  12. The apple tart looks so good.
    Looking forward to seeing the bling for the shed.:)
    Have a great week.

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  13. I have the ingredients and I'm off to try it out. Thanks for sharing. Looks delicious. Needless to say, Mr. Dion is most adorable. Such a cutie "pie" so I think he goes very well with this post. ;) Have a great Sunday!

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  14. Oh YUM! Perfect for the season! Enjoy the rest. My Hubby says Fall Back stands for fall back to sleep!

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  15. Cass I think it looks as delish as I know it is!! I love the rustic crust and Yum, apple anyrhing is so good this time of year!

    Come and enter my new Giveaway....I know you will love it!!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  16. You make this look easy, Cass!! I love your directions~~we bake alike. The tart turned out beautiful and delicious looking to boot. Yum!! Too bad Dion is not getting a taste...he doesn't know what he is missing!

    XO,
    Jane

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  17. I can almost smell that deliciousness! Wish I could have a bite.
    Brenda

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  18. Well, dear heart..I had 3 LARGE apples so I am making 2 tarts. Also, mine are Fuji apples, and the skin is thin and very tender and delicious..so, my apples are still wearing their clothes. :)
    I just put them in the 375 oven and set my timer for 30 minutes..if my crust is getting too brown, I'll cover with foil the last few minutes of baking. I'm excited to see how they come out. Hope I did as good as you did....:))

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  19. That tart looks so yummy. Can't wait to see the kitchen cupboards. Have a great week.

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  20. Loved it last year and love it this year.
    Never decide if you like a project until you see it through. Those first brush strokes are enough to give us strokes but usually they end up looking awesome in the finished room.

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  21. I've done rustic summer tarts, but this looks oh so delish. It was wonderful to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  22. Hi Cass...

    Mmmm...I think I nearly caught a wiff of those yummy baked apples as I was checking out all of your photos! Hehe! Ohhh...your apple tart sounds divine! I need to give your recipe a try...thank you so much for sharing it with us for Sunday Favorites this week, Cass!!!

    Warmest autumn wishes,
    Chari @Happy To Design

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  23. Oh, Cass I love this Tart! Love the humor too! lol Come link it to Tea Time! I want to remember how to do this! It looks so yummy! I sure wish I could drop by and stay a while! Just love it!

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  24. OMG you are too funny! I am here via BJ (that BJ's a hoot, too). I will be making myself an apple tart tomorrow with my lovely gala apples. Well, they're not very lovely right now, starting to look a bit like my granny, but never mind. So very glad I stumbled in. Thanks for the Jim Beam toddy by the way...
    Sandi

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  25. Hi Cass, I saw your tart mentioned on bj's post and it sounds so good! I'm definitely making this for dinner--oops I mean dessert tonight! Linda

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