apple almond tartlets

Yesterday, I went apple picking, and I came home with lots of apples! I used them to make apple almond tartlets.

Apple Almond Tartlets

For cookie crust:
From Chocolate and Mixed Nut Tart in Cookie Crust, Bon Appetit, February 2002
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 stick plus 1 tbs. chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbs. chilled whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and sugar in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tbs. cream and vanilla extract. Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together. Press dough over bottom of six 5-inch tartlet pans. Pierce dough all over with a fork.

For filling:
1 1/4 c. blanched slivered almonds
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
3 apples, peeled, cored, cut into thin slices
Apricot jelly

Combine almonds, 3/4 c. sugar, eggs, extracts, and salt in processor. Blend until soft paste forms. Add 4 tbs. butter, blend 10 seconds. Spread in crust. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir apples and remaining sugar in large bowl.

Overlap apples in concentric circles atop filling. Melt 2 tbs. butter; brush over apples. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake tarts 25 to 30 minutes, until apples are tender. Transfer to a rack. Stir preserves over low heat until melted. Strain into small bowl; brush over apples. Cool.

Tartlets are best eaten the day after they are made.

apple turnovers

These apple turnovers are super easy to make.

Apple Turnovers

2 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine apples, cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl.

Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 1/2" squares. Place heaping tablespoon apple filling in the middle of each pastry square. Place egg wash on two adjacent edges. Fold over to form triangles, and press firmly to close. Brush each turnover with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until golden and puffed, about 20 minutes.

sal, kris, and charlie's

Sal, Kris, and Charlie's is a great deli in Astoria, famous for its Bomb sandwich. It has EVERYTHING on it, so it's huge. Depending on the day, it ranges from seriously spicy to mouth-burning. Whatever the heat index, it is delicious.

lemon meringue tartlets

I've never made nor tried lemon meringue pie, so I'm not sure how these tartlets compare to others, but I really enjoyed these.

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

For cookie crust:
From Chocolate and Mixed Nut Tart in Cookie Crust, Bon Appetit, February 2002
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 stick plus 1 tbs. chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbs. chilled whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and sugar in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tbs. cream and vanilla extract. Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together. Press dough over bottom of six 5-inch tartlet pans. Pierce dough all over with a fork.

Place tartlet pans on baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and use 1-cup measuring cup to press down crust, if puffed. Let cool completely. Leave oven on.

For lemon filling:
From Lemon Meringue Pie, Gourmet, January 2008
5 large egg yolks
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. water
1/4 c. whole milk
1 tbs. grated lemon zest
1/2 c. lemon juice
2 tbs. butter, cut into tablespoons

Whisk together yolks in a small bowl.

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add water and milk, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently as mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and gradually whisk about 1 c. milk mixture into yolks, then whisk yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. Add lemon zest and juice and simmer, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated.

For meringue:
5 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 granulated sugar

Beat whites with cream of tartar and salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to high and add superfine sugar, 1 tbs. at a time, beating until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.

Pour lemon filling into tartlet shells and gently shake to smooth top. Spread meringue decorately over lemon filling, covering filling completely. Immediately bake until meringue is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, 2 to 3 hours.

For meringue:

spaghetti and meatballs

The meatballs from the recipe below make for great spaghetti and meatballs. They are really flavorful.

Meatballs with Parsley and Parmesan
From Bon Appetit, June 1996

4 eggs
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
6 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbs. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 lbs. lean ground beef
Additional olive oil, for frying

Stir eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tbs. olive oil, parsley, garlic, 2 tsp. salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add ground beef and mix thoroughly. Form mixture into 1 1/2 inch diameter meatballs.

Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to coat bottom; heat over medium-low heat. Working in batches, add meatballs and fry until brown and cooked through, turning frequently and adding more oil as needed, about 15 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.

pasta with chicken sausage and broccoli

We bought some sun-dried tomato and basil chicken sausage at Trader Joe's today, so we could try this healthy alternative to its pork counterpart. We have tried turkey sausage in the past and didn't care for it, so we weren't especially hopeful. However, we were pleasantly surprised; it was very flavorful and its texture was almost identical to that of regular sausage.

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli

1 lb. mezze rigatoni
1/3 c. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. chicken sausage, preferably Trader Joe's Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Chicken Sausage
5 cloves garlic, minced
Florets from 3 broccoli crowns
1/2 c. grated Pecorino Romano

Remove casings from chicken sausage. Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, and cook sausage until browned. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water, and steam broccoli.

Cook garlic in pan, until light golden. Add broccoli, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining olive oil, chicken sausage and cooked pasta, along with some pasta water. Toss with cheese, and season with crushed red pepper and salt.

peach crisp

Did I mention that my dad has a major sweet tooth? Tonight, he wanted peach crisp. I cut 4 peaches in wedges and arranged them in a single layer in an 8-inch square baking pan. Then, I covered it with a brown sugar walnut topping. (Combine 1 stick butter, 1 to 1 1/2 c. flour, 3/4 c. brown sugar, 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. salt; mix until moist crumbs form.) It baked in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. It's best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

homemade tkos

As promised, I baked some homemade TKOs again, this time with a vanilla buttercream filling. They were infinitely better than the cookies from my first trial, which were filled with white chocolate ganache. Next time, the only thing I'd change would be the thickness of the cookie; these ended up being a little too thin for my liking. They still tasted pretty good though!