Apple Roll
What you need:
1 8-inch cinnamon-flavored flour tortilla
1 to 2 tablespoons honey-nut-flavored cream cheese
6 thin apple slices
1. Spread tortilla with cream cheese. If cinnamon
flavored tortillas are not available, use a flour
tortilla and sprinkle cinnamon over the cream cheese.
2. Top cream cheese with apple slices and roll up.
Autumn Fruit Tartlets
We added a bit of whimsy to these wee tarts with
pineapple, pear, and kumquat slices. You can use
the harvest fruits of your choice.
Prep: 45 minutes
Bake: 10 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 to 3 Tbsp. ice water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch 3 cups milk
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 recipe Crackly Caramel Spikes (optional)
Assorted fresh fruits, such as small pears,
pineapple wedges, and kumquats
Lemon juice
1 recipe Crackly Caramel Sauce (optional)
For tart shells, in a mixing bowl cut the 1/2
cup butter into flour until pieces are pea
size. Stir together the first egg yolk and 1
tablespoon of the ice water. Gradually stir
egg yolk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in
remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until
dough is moistened. Gently knead the dough
just until a ball forms. If necessary, cover
dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30
to 60 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 450 [degrees]. Cut dough into 8
equal pieces and flatten each into a disk. On a
lightly floured surface, roll each disk into a
5 1/2-inch circle. Gently ease each circle of
dough into a 4-inch diameter tart pan with
removable bottom. Press pastry up and into sides
of pans; trim edges. Do not prick pastry. Line
each tart with a double thickness of foil and
place on baking sheet.
Bake pastries for 6 minutes. Remove foil and bake
for 4 to 5 minutes more or until light golden
brown. Remove pastries from oven. Cool
completely on wire racks.
For filling, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan combine
sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk. Cook and stir
over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook
and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
Gradually stir 1 cup of the milk mixture into the
5 beaten egg yolks. Add egg mixture to milk
mixture in saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil;
reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon margarine
or butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
Pour pudding into a bowl; cover surface with
plastic wrap. Chill thoroughly. Do not stir
while chilling. Prepare Crackly Caramel Spikes.
To assemble, spoon pudding into tart shells. Cut
pears into wedges; core. Brush cut surfaces of
pears with lemon juice. Stand assorted fruits
and Caramel Spikes up on tops of tartlets.
Prepare Crackly Caramel Sauce and drizzle over
each tartlet. Makes 8 servings.
Crackly Caramel Spikes:
Line a baking sheet with foil, and butter the
foil; set baking sheet aside. In a 12-inch
nonstick skillet heat 3/4 cup granulated sugar
over medium-high heat until sugar begins to
melt, shaking skillet occasionally. Do not
stir. Reduce heat; cook and stir about 3
minutes more or until sugar is melted and
medium caramel in color. Remove from heat.
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon hot water. Immediately
pour mixture onto foil-lined baking sheet,
spreading caramel mixture as thin as possible.
Cool about 30 minutes. When cool, tap gently
with a wooden spoon to break into large
shards; store tightly covered.
Crackly Caramel Sauce:
Just before serving tartlets, prepare Crackly
Caramel Spikes as directed except omit buttered
baking-sheet step and reduce sugar in skillet
to 1/2 cup. Immediately drizzle caramel sauce
over tarts (mixture will harden).
Make-ahead tip:
Pudding can be made up to two days ahead. Pastry
shells can be made up to one day ahead. Tarts
can be filled with pudding one day ahead. Store
in refrigerator. Add fruit and Caramel Spikes,
then prepare and drizzle with caramel sauce just
before serving.
