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Rustic Apple Tart with Dulce de Leche Glaze

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Apple Tart with slices of Roelli Cheese Dunbarton Blue- a cheddar Blue combination.

I’m not trying to rush Fall by baking with apples, I just had to create a vehicle for this gorgeous cheddar/blue cheese that I found. I may be crazy but I just think this cheese is gorgeous! It has a beautiful ombre golden color with an interesting and striking line of moldy blue cheese running through. It is of the earth, something created in time with an artisanal hand- a creation. If this was granite I would use it on my countertops.

 Roelli Cheese is located in Wisconsin, the land of dairy and cheese. The family heralds from Switzerland and for years produced high production cheeses of little note. In 2006 the newer generation took on the challenge of creating small production artisanal cheeses and experimenting with different and exciting combinations- this is one of them.  The cheeses are handmade and spend 4 months in the creamery’s underground cellar to mature. The gorgeous blue vein comes from an inoculation of Penicillium roqueforti, which is introduced a week into the the aging process.

The result is a dense cheddar with a gorgeous earthy quality. It’s not the sharp variety you find in mass plastic packs at the market, but rather it’s meaty and woodsy, it’s toothsome and delicately aromatic. The blue adds just a fine layer of muskiness to the cheese, which makes a flavor profile that is pure genius.

What got me to make an apple tart had to with with the fact that my Dad has been on my mind a lot lately. He passed almost 4 years ago now, and from time to time I just miss him. He comes around in my thoughts and sits on my shoulder and just hangs with me for a time. This was one of those weeks where he has been my ethereal companion. He was the one that got me thinking about an apple tart.

Phil could get into his sweets. He would deny it, but I remember many a morning watching him eat Entenmen’s coffee crumb cake with a pat of butter on each bite. Remarkably he did not die with high cholesterol, in fact he never had a cholesterol problem and tended to be too lean. A fact that I still find to be astonishing. Those genes I did not inherit, (I have my Mother’s Latina hips).

Dad liked apple pie fine, but he liked his with a slice of cheddar cheese on top. Something I never, I mean NEVER, understood as a kid. Ice cream- sure! but cheese? A sweet should have a sweet, no? Not a savory! As you can see I’ve come around.

The tart out of the oven and glazed while still warm.

Typically I make a nice old fashioned crust. In the old days when there was Crisco in my kitchen, I would have used that. I really can’t recommend it as a nutritionist, but it does make the flakiest crust. As always I tilt more to the healthier, so I did a little research to find a “better” crust. I landed on Eating Well’s site to this recipe which uses a little canola oil and low-fat sour cream, which lowers the saturated fat level and reduces the calories by 60%. This recipe also exchanges a little whole wheat flour for the white. Not bad- and the crust was quite enjoyable.

I won’t kid you, it does not rival the classic, but but it yielded a satisfying crunch and texture. The whole wheat is also a better foil to the cheese, and the caramel in the dulce de leche. A full on whole wheat crust can be too tough for me, I found this to be a healthy happy medium.

The tart is pretty easy to make. The crust is rolled out and hand rough formed. To be a good ecologist, I place mine on recycled brown paper bag “parchment”.  Layers of apples march down the middle, and then a healthy sprinkling of sugar and a few dots of butter get layered on top.  Then into the oven it goes.

A slice of apple tart with the gorgeous cheddar-blue on top

Phil would have liked this recipe. He pretty much liked hippie versions of things, and the crust makes this tart read this way. He could poo-poo desserts, claiming the evils of sugar, but I can imagine him having at least 2 slices. Probably with extra cheese. It’s that good.

Rustic Apple Tart with Dulce de Leche Glaze
makes two tarts, serves 8
 
This is as simple as they get. Choose a good baking apple that is tart with good body, and don’t skimp on the sugar on the apples either- it’s one of the best parts.
 
1 recipe for Healthy Whole Wheat Crust, found here
2 large baking apples, peeled and sliced into .25″ half rounds
1c granulated sugar
2T butter, diced
3T dulce de leche, my recipe can be found here
.25# Dunbarton Blue, that can be ordered here
Preheat oven to 425˚
 
Roll out the dough into two 6″ x 12″ strips and place onto lined baking sheet.
 
Lay down the apples, then sprinkle tops with sugar and dot evenly with the butter.
 
Crimp the sides of the tarts in to finish.
 
Bake for approximately 30 mins- keeping an eye on the apples. 
 
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
 
Prepare dulce de leche glaze by adding 1t of water and stirring smooth. Brush glaze over the apples.
 
Once completely cool, slice the cheese and lay on top of the tart and serve.
 
Best served and room temperature.
 

Summer Plum Almond Cake

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I’ve had a simple cake in mind made with fresh fruits. Something not too sweet, sort of on the line of a clafoutis, but not custardy and not too cake-y either. A treat I could snack on and not feel terrifically guilty about, and something that would be simple and easy to throw together.

I had been dreaming of peaches, but at the farmers market I spied some ruby jewel plums- just perfect for my little project.

I was not able to find a recipe for exactly what I was looking for, so I created my own. With delight and joy, it turned out quite nicely on the first go round. Certainly my years of cake making is a help, since batters are a balance of chemistry and there is a consistency that one can expect when all the elements are put together- but then again…

What I was also quite delighted about, was that it was the right amount of sweet and tart and chew that I was looking for- and so- I delightfully am sharing it with you.

The fruits turned out to be ripe to over ripe- perfect for my cake. They were not good for hand eating, and small enough to simply half and tuck into the batter. The only pain was de-stoning those tender babies (imagine ruby red pulp on fingers and my paring knife).

I did not reinvent the wheel here- and I am SURE there is a proper recipe out there for this- but my little beauty contains no butter or oil, and yet it’s moist and delicious. Like I said, a treat that you don’t have to feel too guilty about.

Summer Plum Almond Cake
serves 8
 
1c room temp milk
.75c sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1t almond extract
1t vanilla extract
1.75 c flour
.5c ground almonds
1t baking powder
1t baking soda
.5t salt
1 pint of small plums, de-stoned and cut in half
 
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and grease an 8″x8″ pan
 
In a side bowl combine milk, sugar, eggs and extracts and whisk smooth
 
In large bowl sift together flour, almonds, bs, bp and salt
 
Pour the milk mixture into the flour and whisk gently to combine
 
Pour batter into the pan, then arrange fruits, cut side up in the batter, not allowing them to sink below. If your fruits are too small and sink too deep, remove some of the batter and use to make extra small cupcakes
 
Bake for approximately 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is springy to the touch
 
I am a touch baker. My years of baking have taught me that eggs at certain times of the year, humidity and devilish angels can affect baking times- so I’ve learned to go by feel and touch. Since oven temps and evenness of heat distribution can vary, I recommend you try this method too.
 
 
Enjoy! and Thanks once again for spending time with me.
 
 
 

Coconut Raspberry Cake

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So far this year I have spent Memorial Day in Guatemala and now, the Fourth of July in Thailand. Last night I spent the holiday at an event hosted by the US consulate here in Chiang Mai. The evening started out with glasses of wine that were handed out, tied with red, white and blue ribbons. On cocktail tables were decorations of stars and stripes- which, rather than making me feel at home- was a dramatic and harsh contrast to the Southeast Asian aesthetic.

Earlier in the day I had been thinking about what I would be missing at home- BBQ, backyard cocktails, fireflies and fireworks… There is nothing to fill the gap here, except the possibility of ordering a hamburger from a restaurant chain. Is it patriotic to go to McDonald’s to celebrate our American history? The sad but true answer is probably yes, but never in my world. No, there is no satisfying substitute, and nor should there be.

Instead I like the contrast. I like remembering that I am far from home, and recreating Americanization everywhere is by no means necessary. To my mind there is already too much (Starbucks are everywhere, KFC and Sizzler too). However, when they played the National Anthem after the introductions- I felt proud, tho a bit silly. I came here to be HERE, but I am proud to be an American and to stand up one day a year and proclaim so is the very least I could do.

When the anthem was over I wanted to say, “Play Ball!!”, but my joke would have been irreverent. I stood up. I mouthed the words to the anthem (like we all do) and raised my glass in a toast. I proudly, very proudly, represented my country.

Before leaving I made up this Coconut Raspberry Cake. Not really thinking about The Fourth, but this would make a fantastic addition to a casual picnic or cookout. It’s made in a sheet pan making it easy to tote along. Were I to serve it on The Fourth I would pair it with blueberry sorbet or ice cream- and proudly show my colors.

 

Coconut Raspberry Cake
serves 6-8
 
.33c sugar
1c AP flour
.5t baking powder
.5c sweetened coconut
pinch of salt
.5c milk-warmed
3.5oz melted butter
 
2c raspberries (can be frozen)
2c sugar
1T lemon juice
 
2 large eggs-beaten lightly
2c sweetened coconut
.33c sugar
 
Preheat oven to 350˚- grease 6×12″ pan
 
Combine sugar, flour, bp, salt and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.
 
In small bowl combine the butter and milk. Pour into the flour mixture and gently stir to combine.
 
Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until just lightly browned-12-15mins. The cake is not very thick, so don’t be tempted to overbake and brown.
 
While cake is baking: combine berries, sugar and lemon juice in heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 mins until thickened. 
 
Allow cake and jam to cool for 15 mins, then spread jam over cake, creating the middle layer.
 
In a separate bowl combine the eggs, coconut and sugar and stir to combine.
 
Spread coconut mixture on top of raspberry layer. Place back into the oven until coconut is golden brown- ~20 mins.
 
Allow to cool completely before serving- it’s even better chilled before cutting.