Rustic Apple Tart with Sweet Cream Cheese

Apple Tart with Sweet Cream Cheese

Troy & I had Jen & Hans over last night for Hans' birthday! Lots of great food & even better company. We watched the Masters and enjoyed antipasti including prosciutto & boursin wrapped asparagus, salami & muenster, olives, cashews & toasted almonds, sliced red pepper, plump grapes and a great Wente Vinyards Chardonnay from one of Hans' friend's vineyard in California. Then we moved onto a colorful salad, baked sweet potatoes and grilled steaks. We were already full, but it's no birthday without birthday dessert - a rustic apple tart with sweet cream cheese and toasted almond & buttered pecan gelato from Capogiros... We're still full today! The tart was so fun to make - I found the recipe below from joyofbaking.com and thought it might be fun to include here:

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Filling

• 8oz cream cheese at room temp
  
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 4 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled & cut into 1/4" slices (about 3-4 apples)
  
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 and place rack in center of oven. Greas a 9" springform pan.

Crust: In the bowl of your food processor, place the flour & sugar. Pulse to blend together. Add the butter and pulse until dough just begins to come together. Pat the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator while you make the filling.

Filling: In a food processor process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Blend in the egg and vanilla and process until smooth. Remove the crust from the fridge and pour in the filling. Return to refrigerator while you prepare the topping.

Topping: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss the sliced apples in the sugar mixture. Spoon the apples evenly over the cream cheese layer and sprinkle with almonds. Place the springform pan on a larger baking sheet to catch the drips.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown (apples are soft when pierced with a fork), and filling is almost set. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated.

A pic of our antipasti from last night...

Hans & Jen with birthday gelati.

*A fork & spoon to fit the size of our eyes & stomachs :)