Ah, the apple. That wonderful, sweet fruit, so crisp, so delicious, you just can't get enough of it. Did you know that the USA produces over 10 BILLION pounds of apples a year? About half of that (maybe more) is just in Washington! The funny thing is, apples aren't native to the USA, they actually originated in Kazakhstan and then spread from there. While the USA grows about 100 varieties of apples, there are actually over 7,000 varieties in existence! There are a bunch more interesting facts but I'll let you discover them on your own. :)
I was asked to share a recipe that included apples today. In our family, apples are one of our favourite and most often eaten fruit. Our favourite varieties are fuji, honey crisp, and pink lady apples. Most often, we eat them whole or cut up and raw. However, it's occasionally nice to have them prepared in a different way. Sometimes, we'll bake them and eat them without anything added, or add a bit of cinnamon. Today, however, we made apple tarts.
Why apple tarts? Because they're yummy, different from apple pie, and faster to make. Today I'm going to share with you the recipe my husband (yes, he cooks!) came up with for apple tarts that will fit within our diet. What diet? Well, for certain health concerns, we follow what's known as the GAPS Diet. Follow the link for more information and if you have any questions, feel free to ask Christina for my email address. :) That being said, the recipe is gluten free, grain free, pretty healthy, but really really good. So first thing is first. Gather the supplies!
Get three medium-sized glass tart-dishes (oven safe) I really like the Pyrex storage cups for this but custard cups should work too.
For the crust you will need:
3/4 c. almond meal
2.5 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey (if you use raw, unfiltered, save your money and get regular - once it's cooked, it's no longer raw!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the filling you will need:
3 good sized apples
2 tbsp honey. (Or less, if you prefer)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Other spices as desired (nutmeg, allspice, and cloves are all good choices)
Three slivers of butter.
Okay. First thing is first, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. If you have a small convection oven, this is perfect for making these small tarts.
1. Melt the butter for the crust, though carefully so it doesn't burn. I generally do this on the stove or stick it in the oven in a small oven safe dish for a couple of minutes.
2. Mix it with the almond meal, cinnamon and honey. It should be crumbly and greasy. A tip on the honey - use some butter to coat the measuring spoon and the honey won't stick as much. The little girl in the picture below is my daughter who enjoys helping me cook.
2. Core and dice the apples then mix it together with the honey and spices in a single bowl. You can make the chunks as large or as small as you like! For our tarts, I mixed in cinnamon with 1/8th a teaspoon of nutmeg.
3. Grease the tart dishes well with butter. Distribute the crust between them - evenly. Press down to form an even layer on the bottom of the dishes.
4. Bake the crusts for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then remove from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees.
5. Distribute the fruit filling evenly in the tart dishes, put a sliver of butter in the middle of each one, then place them in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. They should be bubbling when you take them out.
Doesn't that look yummy? Of course, you want to let them cool before you try to eat them. Mouth burns are no fun.
Allergic to nuts? Try experimenting with coarsely ground coconut or another alternative.
As for the apple cores and scraps, don't throw them away! Stick them in your compost or, even better, make your own apple cider! How? That, my dears, is probably a post for another time. :)
I hope you enjoy and thanks for letting me guest post today. :)
Sayounara!
