Bavarian Apple Tart

This very easy to make tart.. will surely impress family and friends… totally delicious and spectacular to look at… you will not believe just how easy it is to make.

I do have a few tips to make this recipe an easy success.

TIPS

Make sure your butter is softened.. it will need to be very soft (not runny) to make the crust.

The cream cheese is must also be very soft, this will prevent cream cheese lumps in your filling.  You can soften it in the microwave.. click here for instructions and tips.

I personally like to use Granny Smith apples.. Golden Delicious are also very good… but you can use any other types you prefer.

Slice the apples thin… some recipes say to slice them a ¼ of an inch thick.. in my opinion that’s too thick… if you prefer thicker slices… and make them a ¼ inch thick.. you should nuke them in the microwave to soften them up otherwise your cake will bake nicely but your apples will be to stiff…

I slice mine extremely thin ..  if you lice them thinly you will only need a little less than 2 apples… so you will have slices leftover for munching.. nothing wrong with that.

I have some sugar and cinnamon in a small spice jar with a shaker top… after laying the apples on top I sprinkle a little more on top because some apples will have more sugar and cinnamon than others.. I even it out a bit.

Just a side note.. I make up my own sugar and cinnamon and keep it in an old spice jar that I’ve run through the dishwasher.. it’s far cheaper than buying the ones pre-made.  Here is a recipe you can use to make your own sugar and cinnamon.

The original recipe calls for almonds to be sprinkled on top for the last 10 minutes of baking… I don’t do that since not everyone can eat nuts and some people don’t care for the nut itself… instead I use almond extract in the filling, along with vanilla extract… it gives a nice subtle almond flavor.. if you’re not a fan of almond flavor then just use all vanilla instead.

The crust is patted into the tart pan… be careful not to make the bottom corners too thick, that will make the crust a little tough to break with a fork when cutting pieces or eating.

I always use a non-stick tart pan.. they’re worth the extra cost… believe me. 

When the tart is cooling after baking… about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven.. gently take a very thin knife and loosen the sides of the tart from the pan.. yes.. I painstakingly loosen each little curve… it makes removal so much easier.

The cake gets refrigerated… however… you really have to set it out for at least 30-45 minutes before serving otherwise the crust is too hard and cutting is difficult .. not to mention eating it.

I melt about a tablespoon of apple jelly in a microwaveable bowl… and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the top after the tart has cooled.  This gives it a professional look to it.

Recipe:  Bavarian Apple Tart

All you need:

For the Crust:

½ cup (8 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour

For the Filling:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 egg

¼ teaspoon each of vanilla extract and almond extract

For the Topping:

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced very thin

1/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Sliced almonds (optional – see TIPS)

Extra sugar and cinnamon – See TIPS

1 tablespoon apple jelly, melted

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

You will need a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom (non-stick is preferred).

To prepare the crust:

Beat the butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the flour and beat until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough is sticky.  Dump the dough into the tart pan and press it into the pan evenly (bottom and sides).  ** See TIPS

To prepare the filling:

Beat the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar until well mixed and no cream cheese lumps appear.  Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract and continue beating until very smooth (no lumps).  Spread the filling on the crust.

To prepare the topping:

Toss the apple slices in a medium bowl with the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Arrange the apple slices in a fan starting with the outside edge.  Use the small slices to fill in any gaps.  Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon mixture on any slices that didn’t get coated enough.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 25 minutes (the center should be set).

Cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then loosen the tart crust from the sides of the pan with a sharp knife.  **See TIPS

When it is cool enough to handle the pan (about 30 minutes) remove the tart pan sides and cool the tart on a rack.  Lightly brush the melted apple jelly over the top of the tart (I brush the very top of the crust side as well to give it a professional look).

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

***Make sure you remove the tart from the fridge about 30-45 minutes before serving.  ** See TIPS.

Recipe: Caramel Apple Crescents

 

 

These Caramel Apple Crescents are perfect for Fall.    Nothing says Fall like apple and caramel... a terrific breakfast treat that bakes in 15 minutes.

TIPS

I used a Granny Smith apple.. I like the way the flavor of the tart apple mixes with the sweetness of the caramel.... my taste tester thought a sweeter apple would be better.. so you decide.. use whatever you like.. if you decide on a sweeter apple.. a Golden Delicious would be a good choice.

You won't need the whole apple... so let you little helpers munch on the remainder.

Don't be tempted to use more than a teaspoon of caramel topping in each crescent.... as it is it will run a little... trust me the flavor of the caramel will melt over the inside of the crescent.

Use Hershey's Caramel Topping in the jar... it is a bit thicker than those in a squeeze bottle.

Speaking of running a bit... it's inevitable... so when they come out of the oven be sure to take them immediately off the baking sheet.... and use a good non-stick baking sheet... next time I will also try making it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet...

You use very little butter for these... 1 tablespoon butter melted is plenty.. so use the real thing.. the flavor can't be beat.

I make up a batch of Cinnamon Sugar and have it in a small jar... it's far more economical than buying a ready made mix.  Click here for the recipe.  I didn't use much to top these... maybe about two teaspoons...

Hope you enjoy these!

Recipe:  Caramel Apple Crescents

All you need:

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced

1 can Pillsbury Big n Buttery Crescent Rolls

Hershey's Caramel Topping

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Cinnamon sugar

All you have to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Unroll the crescent dough and place a slice of apple at the wide end.  Spread a teaspoon of caramel topping over the apple and a little down the dough (use a measuring spoon to measure the teaspoon of caramel).

Flip the gooey side down of the apple... and roll the crescent up.. gently folding the sides in and pinching them closed.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet.   Brush each with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.   Remove immediately from pan.  Cool slightly and serve warm.

 

Place an apple slice on the wide part of the dough

 

Spread a teaspoon of caramel topping over the apple slice and down the dough



 

Flip the gooey side of the apple over

 

Tuck the ends in

 

Roll the dough up...





 

Gently pinch the ends to seal

 

 

Brush with melted butter....

 

 

Sprinkle with Cinnamon Sugar... and ready for the oven!

mmm.... smells fabulous and lookin' good!

Recipe: Mini Apple Pastry Puffs

These pop-in your mouth pastry puffs are that perfect extra something for that brunch or special breakfast…. or just because.

When we’re at the house in upstate New York… our local grocery store has a fabulous bakery… from coffee cakes to Danish to fabulous desserts and cakes… oh and did I mention glorious muffins … large and good… we do not have that luxury in Georgia…. so when we’re in NY, I spoil us.. I buy a variety of goodies… last month I did just that… and little fruit pastry puffs were among the goodies… they were positively addicting.

Back in Georgia.. last weekend I went to our local Publix… they have a pretty good bakery.. nothing like the one in upstate NY.. but good. I happened to buzz by a table of pastries.. and lo and behold.. there were the fruit pastry puffs…. in the cart they went.

As we sat there last Sunday with our morning coffee nibbling on the puffs.. I decided to make them… I figured they would be easy… well they are now.. after working out the kinks… we had fun eating the rejects…

TIPS

Size… not to conjure up other thoughts.. but size matters… in making these… I tried large, medium and small… round shapes folded… squares and rectangles… in my humble opinion… I would stick to the small ones.. or the fairly large ones.. depending on what you have in mind when serving them…



Shape… I highly recommend you forget about making the rounded ones.. too much wasted dough when cutting out the circles… the little rectangles work fine.. trust me.

Filling…. I used apple pie filling.. you can use anything you want… BUT… make sure you think about the size of the fruit… the apple pie filling had to be chopped into small dice, otherwise it becomes difficult to fill them with the right amount.

Quantity of filling… very important.. my first instinct was to fill them with more than I really should.. after all .. I wanted the apple filling to be apparent… not needed… read on…

So what is the perfect size and filling amount?.... after much experimentation…. Rectangles of 2 inches by 3 inches… filled with ½ teaspoon pie filling .. works best… a perfect imitation of the commercial bakery ones.

Large ones really can be any size you want… just remember you don’t want more filling than what will cover half the dough… otherwise they pop open in baking. Start with 3 inches by 4 inches… and about 1 teaspoon of filling… make a few .. and make any adjustments to size and filling amount that you want when making the rest. Baking times will be the same as for the smaller ones.

You must brush a small border of water around the edge so they seal.

Put the filling inside that border and fold over the dough… then using a fork crimp the edges… oddly enough.. you really need to do this so they don’t pop open.. even so.. some do… but the crimp “bakes away” into a smooth edge… go figure… but trust me.. it works.

You need to brush the tops completely (NOT the bottom) with an egg wash… which is a an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water.

Another thing you need to do to give them that professional bakery look.. is sprinkle them with Demerara Sugar… don’t know what Demerara Sugar is?… read my post about it… it’s not expensive and it is easy to find.. and will add soo much to your pastries, muffins and other baked goods… well worth it to get it.

I always use non-stick foil on my baking sheet… parchment paper also works well.
Make two little slits on top to allow steam to escape… and pop them in the oven…

Add these to your next brunch… you won’t be sorry!






Recipe: Mini Apple Pastry Puffs

All you need:

Frozen Puff Pastry sheets, thawed according to pkg instructions
Flour
1 can apple pie filling
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Water
Demerara Sugar

All you need to do:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, chop the apple pie filling into very small dice.

Unfold the thawed pastry sheet onto a pastry board that has been lightly floured.

Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the pastry dough to get the seams flattened.

Cut the dough into 2 inch by 3 inch rectangles.

Using a brush, brush water around the edge creating a small border.

Drop a ½ teaspoon pie filling in within the border. Fold the 3 inch side over the filling.

Use a fork to crimp the edge closed.

Using a sharp knife make 2 small slits in the top. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water.

Brush the egg wash on the TOPS of the pastries.

Sprinkle with the pastries with the Demerara Sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool on a baking rake.. serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Red Raspberry and White Chocolate Cream Pastries

These Red Raspberry and White Chocolate Cream Pastries are made of flaky puff pastry dough with a filling of sweet white chocolate cream cheese and red raspberries….. deliciously indulgent… a wonderful dessert or as we had it.. as a breakfast pastry… with coffee.. a fabulous way to start the day!

Pastry recipes seem difficult and they certainly can be… my Grandmother was so good at making light and flaky pastry that my efforts pale in comparison… actually truth be told … there is no comparison… but as Warren would say.. practice makes perfect… or so he hopes that I practice.

Well… this recipe was a snap to make and turned out extremely well… I did cheat.. I used frozen puff pastry… we are so fortunate today to have the convenience items at the store that our Grandmothers didn’t have. … and while it isn’t close to the quality of my Grandmother’s pastry… it is very good.

Trust me… frozen puff pastry is your friend… not only does it eliminate the hours of work… it comes out pretty darn good. I try to keep a package in the freezer.. it makes making impromptu desserts a snap.

This recipe is slightly adapted from a recipe from the folks at Pepperidge Farms.

TIPS

Sometimes the pastry dough just doesn’t unfold like it should… I just roll it out to the size I need.. I have never had a problem with it turning out flaky and just fine.

I have a ruler I keep in the kitchen.. this way I can measure the dough exactly and roll it out to the size specified in the recipe… there are pastry boards with measurements on it that are handy as well.

Be careful placing the 3 inch cutter (I used a biscuit cutter) on your dough…. the dough when rolled out to the indicated size will make exactly 12 circles per sheet… actually.. I wasn’t careful and ended up with 19 circles instead.. I had waste… I could have rolled the scraps and then cut more circles, but didn’t….

Didn’t plan ahead? Need to soften the cream cheese quickly? See my post for directions how to soften cream cheese quickly.

The original recipe directions said to put a tablespoon of filling on each pastry dough circle… if you do that you will run out of filling… I used a measuring spoon to spoon out the filling.. and used about ½ - ¾ of a tablespoon.

I put about a tablespoon and a half of Smucker’s Seedless Red Raspberry jam in a measuring cup and microwaved it for about 10 seconds or so to melt it. Then I put the fresh raspberries in a small bowl and tossed them with the melted jam.. just enough to coat them.. I think it balances out the tartness of the berries better than just using the raspberries.

Remember to use the beaten egg wash around the edge of the dough circle to seal the dough… otherwise… this will happen to your pastry.. the top will slide right off.

Pinch the pastries then crimp them with a fork.. don’t fret if they don’t look perfect when you do it.. they will bake and smooth out naturally.. in fact the crimping will all but disappear anyway… but do it to help seal them closed.

Don’t panic if they leak… they will look just fine when removed from the pan.. in fact they look a little like little jelly donuts.



Use Demara sugar to sprinkle over the tops.. it adds a great little sweet crunch and gives them a professional look. You can find it in the grocery store by the other sugars. For information about Demerara sugar see my post about it.

Beware.. you can’t eat just one!






Recipe: Red Raspberry and White Chocolate Cream Pastries

All you need:

1 pkg. (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
Sprinkling of all-purpose flour (for the board)
½ of an 8 ounce pkg. of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 pkg. (6 ounces) fresh raspberries
1 ½ tablespoons Smucker’s Seedless red Raspberry Jam
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons Demerara Sugar (see Tips)

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Microwave the seedless raspberry jam in a microwaveable bowl until just melted.

Place the raspberries in a small bowl and toss with the melted jam …then set aside.



In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and the sugar until smooth. Stir in the white chocolate chips and set it aside.



Beat the egg and water in a small bowl and set aside.

Lightly sprinkle flour on a work surface and roll out a pastry sheet to a 12 inch square. Using a 3 inch round cutter, cut circles out of the dough… you should get 10-12 circles. Repeat with the other pastry sheet.



Brush the edges of half the circles with the egg wash. (reserving the other half of the circles to use as a top).



Divide the cream cheese filling evenly the circles.



Place 2 jam coated raspberries on top of the cream filling.



Place the reserved circles on top and press the edges closed.



Crimp the edges with a fork.



Place the pastries on the prepared baking sheets.

Using a sharp knife make 3 small slits in the top of each pastry.



Brush with egg wash.



Sprinkle with the Demerara sugar.



Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the pastries from the pan and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Recipe: Mini Strawberry Napoleons

This recipe for Mini Strawberry Napoleons is one of those quick and easy recipes that look oh so elegant.. a perfect dessert for company… a great make ahead recipe that won’t keep you in the kitchen forever.

Napoleons are a family favorite… actually it was my brother’s favorite for years…

When I was growing up department store restaurants were popular.. every big department store had one … and one of our favorites was Lord & Taylor’s restaurant. It was called the Bird Cage restaurant.. and it was unique.. you paid going in… everything was the same price… it had a standard menu of maybe 4 or 5 choices and a daily special… the price included the entrée, a beverage and dessert.

Dessert was a choice from a dessert cart. My brother loved… I mean loved.. the Napoleons.. they were the chocolate variety… and he always asked for one.

Okay.. fast forward to now.. I had a beautiful bowl of very ripe strawberries to use.. and all this great Pastry Cream I was going to use for something else… then …I came across a Strawberry Napoleon recipe… ahh well… change in plans… Warren was not heartbroken… his attitude was.. bring it on…

This Mini Strawberry Napoleon recipe is adapted from a recipe from the folks at Pepperidge Farms. Their Puff Pastry sheets make this recipe a breeze.

I use Pastry Cream instead of instant vanilla pudding… while instant vanilla pudding is a bit quicker… pastry cream is so much better… the egg rich flavor just takes this recipe up a notch.

TIPS

See my recipe for Pastry Cream.. it really is an easy recipe and well worth the effort… you can make it in advance and just assemble the Napoleons just before your guests arrive or just before serving.

When thawing the pastry sheets… do not go beyond the 40 minutes thawing time suggested on the box.. it will be too soft and difficult to unfold.

I researched various ways the puff pastry is baked for Napoleons.. you can make the flaky pastry more compact or fluffier.

To make it compact… (as pictured above)… follow my instructions below.

To make it fluffier… also see instructions below.

Napoleons are notoriously difficult to cut… even the ones you buy at a pastry shop… so when you use your fork to cut off a piece to eat.. it slides… just the way it is… you didn’t do anything wrong.

I found if you make the more compact recipe… make it ahead.. allow to cool.. make sure they are absolutely cooled before putting them into a plastic bag… then store the cooled baked pieces in a Zip Loc bag… assemble them hours later.. they are a bit softer and are easier for people to use a fork to eat them. .. but they're still flaky.

Another way to serve them as the compact pastry….you can also make them even smaller… cut the pastry pieces in half again… then bake them as I instruct below… they will make perfect bite size pieces for a mini pastry tray.

This will make… 8 Mini Napoleons with fluffy pastry or.... 4 with compact flaky pastry… or 16 bite size mini pastries.

Here goes… a very easy recipe.. I hope you try it!






Recipe: Mini Strawberry Napoleons

All you need:

1 puff pastry sheet from a 2 sheet box of Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
Pastry Cream
Sliced strawberries
Powdered Sugar

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

To Prepare Pastry Dough:



On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry sheet.

Cut the pastry sheet along the two lines (making 3 equal pieces).







Then cut each piece into 4 equal pieces (making 12 pieces).






TIP - To make bite sized Napoleons: cut each piece in half.




Place on the parchment papered baking sheet.








To make a compact pastry: Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry dough.








Place another baking sheet on top of the parchment paper (to compress the dough as it bakes).





To make fluffier pastry: Simply place the cut pastry pieces on a parchment papered baking sheet and do not compress it with another baking sheet.

To Bake:



Bake for 15 minutes or golden brown. Compressed pastry will take longer to bake… after 15 minutes, remove the top baking sheet and bake until pastry is golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes.



To Assemble:

For the fluffy pastry: Split each piece into 2 layers. You now have 24 pieces…. reserve 8 of them for a top layer. Layer each of the remaining pastry with about a tablespoon of pastry cream then place sliced strawberries on top. Place one layered piece of pastry on another, making 2 layers. Then top with a reserved pastry piece. You will have 3 layers of pastry per piece. This will make 8 pastries.


For the compact pastry: Reserve 4 pieces of pastry for a top layer. Spread about a tablespoon of pastry cream on each of the remaining pieces then place sliced strawberries on top. Place one layered piece of pastry on another, making 2 layers. Then top with a reserved pastry piece. You will have 3 layers of pastry per piece. This will make 4 pastries.

Dust with powdered sugar. Place a strawberry slice on top of each for decoration.

Recipe: Pastry Cream

No doubt about it.. I love pastry… French, German, Swiss, Austrian… you name it… the flaky pastry with that creamy vanilla cream… heaven in your mouth….

Pastry creams are relatively the same… a basic vanilla custard like cream… some have more eggs than others… but overall… very much the same. This recipe I’m about to post is very basic… you can alter it by adding all sorts of things… from coffee to liquors …

You can use it in many recipes calling for pastry cream or even pudding for fillings.

The recipe is adapted from a Le Cordon Bleu recipe… but to be absolutely fair it is important to note… that this is a basic pastry cream that many others have made as well.

TIPS


As I mentioned … this is an adapted recipe… I used the original Le Cordon Bleu recipe as a guide. The problem with it was that it was in grams and ml…. the ml were no problem at all.. measuring cups have both cups and mls.. so that was fine.



The problem was converting the sugar, flour and cornstarch… seems everyone had a different conversion… some were not even close to each other either… converting it is not as simple as one would assume … it seems the weight plays a role in the conversion… so I estimated and experimented.

I originally used 3 tablespoons each of flour and cornstarch… I found the pastry cream a little too thick… I ended up adding a splash of milk and whisking vigorously .. it smoothed right out perfectly.

If your pastry cream ends up a bit too thick for your tastes… add a small splash of milk and whisk it… add more as needed and whisk vigorously…. the cream should smooth right out.

I subsequently decreased the amounts and they worked better.. the result was softer and creamier.

I converted the sugar quantity to ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons and that worked out very well… you can use more or less to your tastes.

I love the flavor of vanilla.. so this has a strong vanilla flavor.. if you like a more subtle flavor start by adding less than my recipe and adjust as you taste it to your tastes.

The key to the smooth texture is whisking vigorously throughout cooking.

The cream will burn easily… a heavy bottomed saucepan is recommended… make sure you whisk all over the bottom… especially in the corners … if it burns on it will leave a burn taste in your cream.

If you don’t have a vanilla bean… use the extract quantity instead.




Have all the ingredients and utensils ready since cooking will move fast.






So let’s start making this delicious cream…






Recipe: Pastry Cream

All you need:

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
500 ml (or 2 cups plus 4 tablespoons) whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or to taste

All you need to do:




Combine about ½ of the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until they are pale yellow.







In a small bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch (I stir with a whisk to mix evenly).

Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until smooth, it will form a paste.

In a heavy bottom saucepan, add the milk, remaining sugar and vanilla bean.
Heat to boiling, do not leave unattended.

Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean. (you can slit the vanilla bean and scrap out the vanilla beans and add them to the milk if you want).



Using a ladle, add a small amount of hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Add a bit more hot milk to the mixture. (You are tempering the egg yolk mixture so it won’t cook the eggs into a scramble when you add the rest into the pot).







Add the tempered egg yolk mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly.








Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly and vigorously.

Pastry cream will thicken quickly. Remove from the heat. If lumps occur, whisk vigorously to smooth out, if it still has lumps or is too thick, add a splash of milk and whisk vigorously.

If cooked egg pieces appear in your pastry cream, strain through a sieve.
Pour the pastry cream into a heat proof bowl.




Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and allow to cool. Whisk again before using.