It’s apple time here in the Shenandoah valley, with orchards and farmstands overflowing with countless varieties of the delicious fruit. We’re down to our last three Galas so a trip to a local orchard is in our plans for the weekend.
In addition to eating out of hand and making the usual suspects such as apple sauce and baked apples, I also plan to make this Spiced Two-Apple Tart with Cider Crème from Party Vegan. This photo was taken by Tami at Vegan Appetite when she tested this recipe for the book:
The tart is the featured dessert in Party Vegan’s Christmas menu, but would also be great for Thanksgiving if you want to serve something besides (or in addition to) pumpkin pie.
Mom’s apple pie gets an update with this classy tart made with two kinds of apples and a creamy, luscious cider sauce. (Note: the tart is great without the sauce too.) Recipe is from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson © 2010 published by John Wiley and Sons.
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegan margarine, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold water
Filling:
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)
2 or 3 Rome or other red-skinned apples (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cold margarine, cut into pieces
1/3 cup apple jelly, melted and kept warm
Cider Crème:
1/3 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
1. Make the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, margarine, sugar, and salt and pulse until crumbly. With the machine running, add the water and process to form a dough ball. Remove the dough, flatten into a disk about 1-inch thick, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, fluted quiche pan, or pie plate, pressing evenly with your fingers to fit it into the pan, trimming the edges. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
3. Make the filling: Peel and core the apples and cut them into halves. Cut the apples into very thin slices. Spread about half of the apple slices evenly over the surface of the pie crust. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Arrange the remaining apple slices overlapping in concentric circles, beginning with the outer layer and working toward the center. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on top of the apples, dot with bits of the margarine, and bake until the crust is cooked through and the apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the top of the tart with the melted apple jelly. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 6 to 8
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