Tuesday, April 19, 2011

If you can't stand the heat...



..you definitely don't want to come to Texas in April.  Two days running now, we've had highs in the mid-90s.  Blech.  It's way too early for this.  I know that everything is air-conditioned here, but to be honest, I still don't want to bake when it's 91º at 7pm.  Especially after having to spend time outside watering the yard.  Have I mentioned that I hate anything to do with yard work?  I also hate getting letters from the home owners' association because the lawn is brown.  Do they know that we're in a drought?  Do they know that we should be under watering restrictions, assuming we aren't already & I just haven't heard about it?  Grrr.


Okay, rant off.  You can't tell it's sore subject, can you? =)  So on to a much more pleasant topic, this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.  Jeanette of The Whimsical Cupcake picked A Tourtely Apple Tart for us to make this week.  As you've probably noticed, I didn't exactly make a tart.  I meant to make this recipe over the weekend with Nancy and Tracey, but ran out of time and energy.  By the time Monday night rolled around, so had the aforementioned 90-degree temperatures, and there was no way I was going to have my oven on for a couple hours.  So, much as I like Dorie's tart crust, the tart part went out the window.  

But by this morning, I did have the time and energy to at least tackle the filling.  It's a lot like making applesauce.  Chunks of apple, some brown sugar, a bit of nutmeg, and a couple tablespoons of liquid get cooked together until the apples are almost soft enough to break down when pressed with a spoon.  For my liquid, I got to use something from my most recent King Arthur order, Boiled Cider.  I also added a big pinch of salt.  I admit, I took my apples almost to the point of applesauce, and mashed them up some.   After the apples are cooked (and the liquid is allowed to reduce), you mix in some browned butter and vanilla, and some raisins (and nuts, if you're into that, which I'm not).  Yes, my kitchen smelled amazing this morning.  



The verdict?  Well, I love the filling, so now I really need to make the whole tart. =)  I'll probably do it this fall, if not before, when I can try it with some of my favorite apples (not that I dislike the Macs I used today).  It took me a few minutes to realize that what the filling reminds me of is baked apples, the way we made them when I was a kid.  After coring the apples, we'd fill them with a mixture of raisins, brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon, held together with some butter.  This filling tastes kind of like that, though better because of the browned butter.  Mmm.  I'll probably make just the filling again soon, and pair it with some ice cream as my friend Kayte suggested.  

If you'd like to try the tart for yourself, you can find the recipe on Jeanette's blog.  And to see what everyone else thought of this recipe, check out this week's Links.  


9 comments:

  1. I would LOVE to come to Texas for a few days! It snowed here (Vancouver, BC) on the weekend... in the middle of APRIL! lol.

    Your filling for the tart looks great - nice job!
    Buttercreambarbie Tia

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  2. I love that you put your ramekin inside a tart pan. Very cute and a little jealous that you had KA cider. So neat! I think I really could eat a whole bowl of the filing. So delicious. My friend in San Antonio says she is praying for rain so maybe it'll be there soon. I hope. Hang in there.
    AmyRuth

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  3. Ice cream just sounded like the best idea for a hot day and these apples look like the perfect topping to me! Loved this filling, I would eat it on ice cream, too, but mine went into the tart...might need to make some just for ice cream as that browned butter bit in the apples was so good! Love your photo of the bowl in the tart pan. Also love the title...very fun over here. It is 39 degrees and I am wishing I had some of that heat you have today.

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  4. I'm with Kayte, send us some of that warmth! It is chilly and dreary again today and I could really go for some sunshine :) This filling smelled so good, I would absolutely make it again to eat by itself. I would never have thought to throw it on ice cream but that's a great idea!

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  5. We had snow overnight and all day today...sigh. But your applesauce looks yummy and the tart sounds like a must-do!

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  6. In my opinion, 90's are inappropriate any month of the year, but in April that's just an insult! Your filling looks amazing. It's very versatile stuff: would be yummy in a tart, with ice cream, or as you have it, on its own.

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  7. Please send the warmth and sunshine to Connecticut...I love that you made just the filling and not the whole tart....it is good if you ever make it. I have the boiled cider from KA too.

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  8. Since the filling was the best part of the tart you scored high with just making it.

    It was tasty wasn't it?

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