Spring Cleaning, Pt. 1

As spring break winds down, it marks the time of year for spring cleaning—the preparation for the fun, sun-filled summer season. And no different then everyone else I, too, am embarking on this age-old tradition (Really, people have been doing this for over a thousand years!)... Version 2k11.

I am going to end my streak of "Oh, I have two posts waiting to be done..." or "Don't worry about taking pictures of this meal, I still have so much left to do." Now that I have had my three 20-hour-workday hell weeks known as midterms, summer applications, and random meetings fulfilled, it was time to runaway and wind down: aka Spring Break. Filled with lots of sun (I dub 2011 "my year as a beach bum"), reading, clubbing, and relaxation (I know the last two are oxymoronic), I visited my friend, Adriana, in Miami, FL. On a side note, one of my favorite things about this trip was the fruit! There are so many delicious tropical fruit that are both more expensive and not-quite-so-delicious in the Big Apple. So for this recipe, grab the last apples of the season and prepare yourself this Caramelized Apple Tart with a Honey-Ginger Crust. I was fooling around in the kitchen in Hawaii when I realized we had no cinnamon and only ginger. This was the birth of this delicious tart recipe!

Caramelized Apple Tart with a Honey-Ginger Crust

Crust:

-1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

-2 tbsp sugar

-1 tbsp ground ginger

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

-1/4 cup honey

-2 large egg yolks

-1 tbsp ice water

Filling:

-1 ½ cups (packed) dark brown sugar

-(optional) 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream

[Personally, I don’t use heavy whipping cream unless necessary, however a few recipes will recommend its use in a caramel sauce. You can also use milk. Remember creamier=richer! I like the purer caramel without it—but that’s simply the opinion of a health-conscience co-ed]

-6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

-lemon juice

-1 tbsp flour

-6 large McIntosh or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Directions for Crust:

-Mix flour, sugar, ginger, and salt in a processor. (If you are like me and sadly do not own one, this can be done by hand!) Add butter. If using a processor, use the on/off pulsating turns, until the mixture looks like coarse meal.

-Whisk honey, yolks, and the ice water (not luke warm water, not cold water, ICE WATER. This is one of the keys to making a deliciously amazing crust) in a separate bowl.

-Add the honey mixture to the flour mixture. Process (or mix) until clumps form.

-Then gather the dough into a ball. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in the plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

-Roll out the dough to about a 12” circle. Transfer into a pan and press it against the sides. Fold over the edges to have a thicker crust on the sides of the tart.

-Using a fork, press down on the sides to create a ridged-pattern (optional—for presentation’s sake).

Caramel Sauce:

-Bring sugar, cream (or milk or neither), and butter to a boil in a medium-heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, constantly whisking until the sugar dissolves. Be careful not to put the heat too high as to burn the sauce. Add a few drops of lemon juice and flour as it boils. Boil until caramel is thick enough to cover the spoon in a thick coat, about 10 minutes. (This can be made up to 5 days ahead). -Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Coat the apple slices with a little lemon juice. Then in a bowl, toss the apples as to lightly coat all of the pieces in caramel.

-Now arrange the apples in any way you wish in the tart crust. You can cut the slices and arrange them cut-side down, as to make a more vertical tart. You can also lay the slices down, one on top of the other, in order to make a more horizontally-appealing tart.

-Use any leftover dough from the crust to make any decorations and adornments on top of the tart.

-Place in the oven for 1 hour 15 min. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

-Voilà!

This recipe is especially nice when served with a light ice cream. Vanilla bean or coconut ice cream and crème fraîche are my personal favorites. My cooking tends to become more innovative with relaxation and time—two things that are for me, unfortunately, not always easy to come upon. Hawaii was filled with lots of it and was hence a source for inspiration. Miami was, as well, but not to the same extent. With “spring break” in mind, I found that I did not escape Columbia—seriously, its students were all over south beach (a comment on the Columbian demographic?)—but instead found myself forcing a balance of relaxation and “fun” onto myself. Without this, I would not have been able to write this blog post on the plane (like I am doing, now) out of pure exhaustion.

So, here’s to spring! Here’s to figuring out what you are trying to do (Miami had a lot of figuring out semesters and summers—Congratulations to Marina who got into the Argentina program)! Spring break is crucial when it comes to restoring balance in one’s life… or at least it was in mine. And as most other schools are just starting spring break, enjoy and remember to eat well. Live well.