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By The Contestants!
First Place, Lindy Martin: Apple Blossom Tart
Preheat oven 425 degrees
10 inch tart pan
Ingredients for one ten-inch single crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional, it will help make the crust tender)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
3-5 Tablespoons of ice water
In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the flour, buttermilk powder, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry-cutter or your fingers or a mixer cut in the butter and shortening, leaving some baby pea sized lumps.
Mix the vinegar with 3 Tablespoons of ice water and sprinkle over the flour mixture. Squeeze the dough together; if it's not cohesive, add an additional 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water (just enough to make the dough stick together comfortably). Shape the dough into a flattened disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Ingredients for Streusel:
1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
7 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 generous teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
Combine all the above ingredients in a food processor except the walnuts. Process until mixture forms even crumbs (a few pulses will do it). Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times to distribute.
Ingredients for Apple Filling:
3 to 5 medium sized apples (granny smiths, golden delicious, jonagolds etc.), that have been peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick. Put sliced apples in a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon.
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 generous teaspoon cinnamon
Assembly:
Roll the dough to a 12 inch-round. Carefully transfer to the tart pan and press up the sides. Leftover dough can be used to build up the sides. Spread the streusel mixture over the dough. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the apples and stir. Cook over medium heat for about three to five minutes until the apples begin to give up their juices. Do not over cook or the apples will lose their integrity. Let apples cool enough so you can handle them. Arrange the apple slices in a circle around the edge of the pan. They should be overlapping one another. There should be a big open area of the tart in the center. Carefully arrange the apple slices in the center of the shell to simulate the petals of a flower blossom. Drizzle some juices from the skillet over the apples. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and continue to bake until the crust and apples are a golden brown around 30 to 35 minutes, but start checking after 20 minutes, some ovens cook faster than others. Allow to cool completely adding the glaze.
Glaze:
1/2 cup Apricot jam
Calvados
Heat the jam in a pan and stir in enough Calvados to make a smooth consistency. Strain through a strainer and brush on the glaze.
Second Place, Lloyd Martin: Apple Pastries with Almond Cream
Makes 12 pieces
6 or 7 small to medium apples (I used JonaGold)
2 3/4 pounds of puff pastry (standard yield from a 1 lb. flour, 1 lb. Butter recipe)
Pastry Cream w/ Almond extract
Cinnamon sugar
Poaching syrup
Poaching Syrup:
1 lb. Sugar
1 quart of water
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 sliced lemon
Combine all ingredients into a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Pastry Cream with Almond Extract
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
5 Tbs. Cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
Combine all ingredients except flavorings in a heavy 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wire whisk until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 to 60 seconds while stirring--the cream should be thick now. Take the pan off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Add the vanilla and the almond extract and mix in. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
Peel, core and halve the apples. Place apples in boiling poaching syrup, reduce heat to a slow simmer. Place a bowl or small plate, that will fit inside the saucepan, over the syrup to keep the apples submerged in the syrup. Simmer for about 5 minutes. The apples should still be firm. Let the apples cool in the syrup for 1/2 an hour. Remove apple halves from the syrup an finish cooling on a plate.
Trace the provided pattern onto thin cardboard such a file folder and cut it out. Divide the pastry dough in half and roll out each piece to about 10" x 16". Using a very sharp knife (like an exacto knife) cut six pieces from the dough and place on a baking sheet. Now cut a line half way through the dough 1/4" to 1/2" inside the outer edge of the pastry piece. Prick the center section all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing. Chill the pastry for an hour. Gently fold up leftover pieces into one large piece and chill.
Using a #3 round pastry tip, pipe the pastry cream into the center section of the pastry.
Starting just below the stem end of each apple half (leaving the stem end intact), slice the apple half lengthwise making each slice approximately 1/8" thick. Press down to fan out the slices. Arrange the apple half on the pastry piece so that it covers the center section but does not go beyond the outside ring. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the apple slices.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-50 minutes, turning the sheet half way through after 20 minutes.
Brush the pastry pieces all over with the poaching syrup as soon as they come out of the oven.
Left over apple tart
Using leftovers from the above recipe:
Roll out chilled puff pastry scraps into a 10" circle. Place into a 7" tart pan with removable bottom. Carefully press the dough in place against the sides, and taking a sharp knife (exacto) slice the excess dough parallel to the bottom of the pan. Prick the bottom of pastry so that it doesn't puff.
Pipe in the leftover pastry cream to fill the bottom. Thinly slice the leftover poached apple halves and arrange them on the bottom of the tart
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes
Third Place, Kimberly Wright: Apple Walnut Raisin Spice Cake
8-10 servings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups chopped, unpeeled Gravenstein or other tart green apples
1 cup raisins, soaked overnight in 1/2 cup bourbon
3/4 cup chopped roasted walnuts
Preheat oven to 325º F. Butter and flour 10-inch springform pan. Sift together first 9 ingredients. Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Drain bourbon into batter and mix to blend. Gradually fold in dry ingredients. Fold in apples, raisins, and walnuts. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 3/4 hours. Cool cake completely.
Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/8 cup confectioners' sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat to blend. Spread over top of cake.
Lindy Martin: Candy Apple Pie
Ingredients for Crust:
1 1/2-cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3-cup butter (melted)
3/4-cup caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans
Ingredients for Apple Filling:
5 granny smith apples (remove peel and core and slice very thin)
5 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Topping:
8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
Ingredients for Topping:
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions for Crust:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely. Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.
Instructions for Apple Filling:
3. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.
Instructions for Cream Cheese Topping:
4. In a medium bowl, using a hand held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Instructions for Topping:
5. Top with whipped cream, caramel and pecans and swirl with a knife. Slice and serve.
Nick Prevedelli: Nona Prevedelli's Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1 tbls. cornstarch
½ cup sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
3 tbls. butter
1 tbls. lemon juice
2 lbs. Prevedelli mutsu apples
Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup chopped nuts
Pre-baked pie crust
Directions:
Bake crust and set aside to cool.
Combine cornstarch and sugar in sauce pan; stir in cream, mixing well. Cook over medium heat until just comes to boil; stir in butter and lemon juice. Add apples and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool, then spoon into baked crust, filling crust ¾ full.
Make topping:
Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; beat in egg. Spoon over apple filling; sprinkle nuts over top. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.
Jule Herman: Thai Coconut Apple Tart
Filling:
4 cups organic tart apples, ¾" wedges
½ cup coconut milk
1 t coriander seeds, freshly ground
1 t cardamom seeds, freshly ground
juice of 1 small lime
3 t organic raw sugar
1 T grated fresh organic ginger root
2T organic unsalted butter
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
Crust:
2 cups organic spelt flour
¾ cup organic brown rice flour
1 t salt
1 t organic raw sugar
½ c organic coconut oil
½ c organic unsalted butter
½ c cold water
1 T whole flax seed
Kay Shelley: Apple Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Sauce
4 large eggs plus one egg yolk
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons bourbon
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
8 cups firm white bakery bread cut in small cubes (I used sweet French bread)
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients including bread and stir. When all the bread I coated in the mixture let stand for 20 minutes.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 325º F. Pour mixture into baking pan. Set in middle of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Depending on your oven, the time will vary. Take out when bread pudding in brown and the middle holds together, yet still wobbly.
Serve warm or cold with Grand Marnier Sauce
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
¾ cup sifted powdered sugar (add more if too watery)
¼ cup milk to smooth it out
Whisk briskly till blended, pour over sliced bread pudding.