Posted on by Opie · 2 Comments

Fruit Custard Tart

I got this recipe from a series of Italian cooking classes that I was lucky enough to take several years ago. You can use all sorts of different fruits for this, whatever you have on hand. I used Granny Smith apple this time but I’ve made this with raspberries, blueberries, etc. I also like to “soak” my fruit in a little liquor, whatever I have that’s the same flavor. In this case, a little apple schnapps, but I’ve also used Calvados (apple brandy). Enjoy!

Fruit Custard Tart

Dough:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 egg

Custard:

  • 2 large apples, sliced
  • 3 eggs, 2 yokes and 1 whole
  • 2 tbsp. apple liquor
  • 1/2 tsp real vanilla
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add in the cubes of butter and pulse until combined. It should look like peas. Add in the egg and extract and pulse until it has gathered. Press into a 9 1/2″ tart pan.

Place the apples over the dough in the tart pan. In a medium bowl add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, flour and beat in the cream. Pour over the apples and bake for 1 hour or until set. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

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Posted on by Opie

Fruit Crisp

This is one of the simplest dessert recipes I know. And it’s fast! You can make it using whatever fruit you have on hand; frozen, canned or fresh. I almost always have frozen blueberries or canned pears on hand as we have 4 blueberry bushes and a prolific pear tree. But I’ve done this one with apple or peaches. It’s on my todo list to do apple-cranberry or apple-cherry. I’m not a big fan of cherries but I was watching Lidia Bastianich’s cooking show and she was doing a crisp with dried cherries soaked in brandy, yum!

Now I think my crisp is slightly better than hers, just saying. She doesn’t have as much of the topping as I do. You, however, can modify this to the way you like it. Also, depending on the fruit, you can enhance the flavor (and cut out the sugar) but adding a little fruit liqueur. This can enhance the flavor of the fruit. A couple of tablespoons should do it and the alcohol will cook off.

Now I haven’t tried this yet, but I think it’s totally doable, to make this gluten free. Substitute the wheat flour with gluten free flour, I’m going to try this with almond flour because I think it would lend itself better to this recipe. Enjoy!

fruit-crisp.jpg

Fruit Crisp

  • 3 to 4 cups fruit
  • 2 to 4 tbsp of sugar (depending on the fruit and how sweet it is)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour (divided)
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl; combine the fruit, sugar and 1/4 cup of flour. In another bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, pumpkin spice and butter. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse crumbs.

Put the fruit in a baking dish and sprinkle the topping over it evenly. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until it’s bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

PS I like to use the pumpkin spice mix, which I make myself, but you can mix it up however you want. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, etc.