Happy Halloween 2014!!!!!

Yes Halloween Came and Went….

Here is me in scary make-up and yes I did this myself 🙂

Not sure where everyone lives, but here in Northern Ky/Greater Cincinnati area is was 41 degrees, and I was sitting outside all bundled up passing out candy!! 😛

Here is my candy

my pumpkin on my table

some kiddies running for candy

some coming and going

But at least it stopped raining, where ever you are I hope you have a Happy and Safe Halloween!!!!

Rustic Fruit Tart

This is my simply, easy and delicious go to dessert, well maybe my family’s cobbler is my first one I’d go to, but this is definitely a close second for sure.
I will make this all year around, with any kind fruit that appeals to me as I walk through the produce dept. or at my local farmers market.  I like using Apples, Pears and Plums mostly since I have at least one or combination of those always in the house.

You can mix and match any combo you like, add in some blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, even nuts if you like.  I’ve added those huge Red Holiday Grapes (seedless), just cut them in half added them to some apples…delish!!

Now you can make your own pie crust that is great you go to town, but for me this pre-made crust works out perfectly.

This time I had few pears and one lonely apple…but it was delicious and this how I do it.

Ingredients

I roll the pie crust out on my baking sheet and set aside

Peeled my fruit (I do not peel plums)

Cut the fruit

toss in together in a large mixing bowl

add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon

and toss to coat all the fruit

Pile up high in the center of your crust

pull up one edge of the crust then continue to go around overlapping crust

looks like this

make an egg wash, and brush all over crust

I sometime will sprinkle a little sugar over the crust, then bake

Done!!!!

Recipe

Rustic Fruit Tart

1 pie crust
Fruit (i used) 4 pears and 1 small apple
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp. granulated sugar (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Roll out pie crust on to baking sheet, I used a siltpat on my baking sheet.
Peel, core or seed fruit, then slice, put slice fruit in a large mixing bowl, add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat all the fruit.  Pour fruit in the middle of your pie crust and pile it high.  

**I like to use a lot of fruit and pile it high, you can use as much or as little as you want, you like more crust then fruit use less fruit to have more crust coverage, to each his own.

Take one edge flip it up on to fruit then continue to go around the fruit overlapping the crust all the way around.
Egg wash – 1 egg & 1 tsp. water, whisk together and brush to coat crust. (you will not use much, so you can keep for breakfast in the morning)

If you want to add a little more crunch and sweetness to your crust, sprinkle 3/4 tsp of sugar over the crust.

Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn oven down to 400 degrees for 15 minutes more.  It should be nice and golden brown, but everyone’s ovens do vary, so do keep an eye on it.  If you feel your crust is browning to quickly you can tent with some foil until fruit is tender.

Serve this warm or at room temperature, most the time when I make it, very little makes it to room temperature, and it does make a tasty breakfast…and goes great with Coffee!!!!  Enjoy

This is picture of the Plum tart that I did this past summer.

Grilled Pound Cake with Fresh Berries

This dish will be delicious sitting outside on the patio with maybe a nice dessert  wine, where I live we have a great sale on berries this week.  We have Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries and Blackberries all for $1.48 each; I thought these berries would go great with some grilled pound cake.

You can use any kind or flavor of pound cake, if you want make some scratch or buy some at your local store or bakery.  In our store we carry some delicious pound cake from 2 local bakeries, Buskin and Servatti’s and of course good ole Sara Lee in the freezer stection.

Take your pound cake and slice it about 1 – 1 ¼ inch thick, place it on a medium hot grill, cook on each side just until you have char marks.

Keep it whole or cube your slice, place in a bowl or on a plate, top with some fresh berries, a nice dollop up whipped cream. I also like to add a little chiffonade of fresh mint.

Enjoy this any time of the summer, this a great dish to bring on a picnic as well…Enjoy!!