One Easy and Flexible Dessert Recipe
As you know, I do love to entertain. Greeting people with a glass of champagne and chatting over the island as we prepare the last few details of dinner, while noshing on an excellent cheese platter is one of my very favorite things. Truth be told, I can make a meal out of hors d’oeuvres, and really don’t need dinner. Just keep the wine pouring. Both my hubby and I love to cook, and we love to share our love of food with our guests. Unfortunately, dessert isn’t my favorite thing to cook. That’s why I needed one easy and flexible dessert recipe!
Don’t get me wrong, I can cook dessert. I make a lovely soufflé, homemade cinnamon ice-cream, key lime pie, and crème brûlée. In fact, my key lime crème brûlée is amazing! But dessert takes advance planning, especially if you’re cooking several other things in the same evening. So, dessert is typically an afterthought for me. I’m the one running to Nothing Bunt Cakes for a dozen of their Bundtinis to serve. It’s not that I don’t think dessert is important, because I do. Nothing makes me happier than to end an amazing dinner with an equally amazing dessert. It’s just that I don’t typically plan enough time to make a dessert ahead of time.
Then I stumbled onto one easy and flexible dessert recipe. It seriously couldn’t be easier, and you can use whatever fresh fruit you have on hand. Don’t have apples? Then use pears, or pineapple, or peaches. You can grill, sauté, or even microwave the fruit if you want it softer, but I love to just cut it fresh and layer it onto the pastry. Need a festive dessert, then sprinkle on some dried cranberries, or even fresh ones! You can omit the ground ginger and sprinkle in some finely chopped candied ginger. Warm up some caramel topping and drizzle it on before serving. There are so many options! The key for always being ready with a delicious homemade dessert, is to keep a box of Puff Pastry sheets in your freezer. It’ll save your neck!
Apple Puff Pastry Tart
Ingredients
- 3 large apples (or any fresh fruit on hand) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced. I like granny smith or honey crisp.
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- vanilla ice-cream
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 400Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Place the pastry sheet onto a baking sheet. I use a silpat or baking mat under mine. Brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold over the edges 1/2 inch on all sides, crimping with your fingers to form a rim. Prick the center of the pastry thoroughly with a fork. Brush the pastry edges with the egg.
- Arrange the apple slices on the pastry, overlapping slightly. Stir the brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.
As I said, this recipe is super easy and if you have a frozen puff pastry in your freezer, you can whip up a gorgeous dessert with whatever you have on hand. You can prep the fruit in advance, if you like. Simply toss the fresh fruit in the juice of one lemon, or orange, and let sit in your refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. When you pull the pastry out to thaw, pull the fruit out to come to room temperature.
How easy is that? You can add it to my Easy Menu for Weekend Guests and really have a party! Do you have a dessert recipe you can whip up in a pinch? Let us know in the comments.
