Apple Tart

I am hooked on the British period drama series that airs on PBS called Downton Abbey. I literally can't wait for Sunday nights at 9pm when the 7-part series of Season 2 airs in my local area. My obsession with this show, which is said to be an updated version of the beloved PBS mini-series, Upstairs Downstairs, began last year when Season 1's 3-part series first aired. Since then I can't get enough of it and look forward to my Sunday evenings in front of the TV.

For those unfamiliar with the series, it is a tale of an aristocratic family and their servants, set in the early 1900's right before and into the Great War. The setting, in a real-life English manor fictionally called Downton Abbey, is enchanting, very much like what you would see in a Merchant-Ivory movie. The costumes depicting the era are stunningly beautiful. And, the stories, both rich and intriguing, focus on the life, and scandals, of the Crawley family (aristocrats) and those of their servants. The script is simply scrumptious, with the best lines given to Maggie Smith, all making for great television viewing. 

So, my Sunday nights are special, and to honor the evening viewing I like to have dessert. For this weeks episode 4 viewing, I chose to make this simple but delicious apple tart. First, because I just saw Jacques Pepin make it on TV. Second, because I had two huge Granny Smith apples that soon needed to find a purpose.

Dessert don't get much easier than this. It starts with a simple pastry dough that requires no rolling. Just pat it into a tart pan or pie plate. Cover it with peeled and sliced apples, sprinkle with some sugar, scatter a few small clumps of butter, and bake. Brush the baked tart with some apricot jam to give it a bit of a shine and serve. It's not too sweet or rich, just delicious. Perhaps not so worthy of this elegant drama series, but just enough for a cold Sunday evening. 

A third season will now air in September. Though delighted at the prospect of more shows, I suspect that means I will probably have to wait to find out if Lady Mary marries Capt. Crawley or if Anna and Mr. Bates can finally be together. 

Jacques Pepin's Apple Tart 

1/4 c. warmed milk

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

6 T. softened butter (or combo of butter & Crisco)

2 lbs. apples

3 T. sugar

2 T. butter

2-3 T. apricot jam, warmed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl or Cuisinart, mix together the flour, 1 tsp. sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter/Crisco and mix till crumbly. Add the milk and mix till dough comes together.  

Pour into a tart pan and with hands push dough into pan, over bottom and up sides of pan.

 

Peel, quarter and core apples.  Cut into 1-inch thick slices. Arrange apples wedges in a concentric circle on the dough and sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar.  Dot the surface with the butter cut into small pieces.  Set on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 1 hour until the apples are completely soft. Watch the dough edges. Cover with aluminum foil if they begin to over-brown.  Brush the surface with the apricot jam, warmed up to loosen. 

Leek Tart

I still have a few ingredients I have yet to use from my holiday cooking. A sheet of puff pastry and a bunch of leeks were of particular concern. Since my husband and I couldn't stomach the thought of another dessert, my options for the puff pastry leaned towards something savory  The leeks were originally intended for a potato-leek soup I never got around to making, so I needed to put them to good use now as well. With my sister, her husband and my dad coming for dinner this seemed like a good opportunity to finally incorporate them into our meal. A leek tart came to mind perhaps as a nice appetizer.  

There are plenty of recipes out there for leek tarts that range from simple to quiche-like creations. The one I like best is more quiche-like, meaning the leeks are encased in a creamy, cheesy custard. My preference would have been to use a savory pie/tart crust, but I wanted to get rid of that puff pastry, so I made do with that.  A good custard base for a tart or quiche usually calls for some real cream, either half n' half, or the heavy stuff. Since I didn't have either, I added some leftover cream cheese to the milk which gave it just enough tang and a nice creamy texture. Gruyere cheese would have also been preferred, but, here again, I settled for what I had on hand. This time it was a small amount of an Italian cheese blend, you know, one of those packages of pre-grated cheeses you find in the dairy section that I used for the stuffed shells I made for New Years Day. This one included finely grated mozzarella, Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheeses.  I didn't have quite enough so I added a bit more freshly grated Parmesan.

The resulting tart was delicious. But in all honesty, I wish I had made the savory pie crust instead. One sheet of puff pastry wasn't big enough for the amount of filling I made. So, in addition to the tart made with the puff pastry, I lined a pie plate with a few slices of multi-grain bread that I rolled out flat and buttered.  I filled it with the remaining filling and baked. An easy fix that was equally delicious. 

Savory Leek Tart

2 large or 3 small leeks 

3 T. butter

2 sheets of puff pastry, or savory pie crust

2 eggs

1 green onion, chopped

3 T. cream cheese, softened

3/4 milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 c. grated medium to sharp cheese - any variety

Prepare crust:

Roll 1 sheet puff pasty on lightly floured sheet pan into a 12" x 12" square or any shape you prefer. Trim 1 " strips from all four sides. Using an egg wash or milk, brush all four edges. Place the 1" strips around all four edges and press lightly to adhere.  With a small, sharp knife, score around the inside of the 1" strips being careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Repeat with 2nd pastry sheet. Blind bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. 

Remove the dough from the oven. Remove the blind baking beans and set aside. 

Make filling:

Prepare leeks by removing the stem and hard stalks and discard both. Now slice the white portion in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2" slices. Put in a cold water bath to clean. Strain and repeat one or two times to be sure grit and sand is thoroughly removed.

 
In a medium sized saute pan melt the butter. Add the well drained leeks and saute on medium to med-hi heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender and all liquid has evaporated.  Set aside to cool.

 In a medium bowl beat eggs, add softened cream cheese, milk. green onions (white and green parts), salt, pepper, nutmeg and mix till ingredients are well incorporated. Add grated cheese.

Spread cooled leeks inside pastry shell.  Carefully pour the filling over all the leeks. Don't overfill, as filling will puff up slightly when cooked. 

Put in a 400 degree oven and bake another 20 minutes till custard is cooked - knife inserted in center should come out clean. Slice and serve warm.