Rant. I actually wrote this post a week ago, and then something happened to my blogging platform and the blog post got deleted. Unfortunately, Squarespace 6 does not support restore functionality or any kind of recycle bin just yet. I’m really hoping they’ll get it in soon as I don’t want to move to another site once again. Anyway, back to the Tart…

I have not posted any recipes here for quite a long time. I actually cook a lot, but it’s mostly very simple food: chicken thighs stuffed with ricotta and sun-dried tomatoes, baked and served with quinoa; pan fried fish with butter-caper sauce and rice; breaded and fried mini schnitzels and Russian staple side – buckwheat. Although, all these are very tasty, they are not too interesting or good looking to take photos. I bake too, but not as much, mostly I go back to my tried-and-true recipe. We, Russians, call it Sharlotka, but I posted it here under the name of Quick and Easy Cake. Sometimes I make cookies and try other coffee cakes, but again, nothing I baked in the last few months (or years to be exact) made me want to pick up my camera and look at it through a viewfinder. Until this tart came along…

I made it a few weeks ago when I was trying to get rid off some extra apples that I had. And oh, my! Was I surprised?! It was a magical dessert: easy, quick, so satisfyingly tasty, and elegant. Textures of this little dessert with sparkling sugar and crispy pastry at the edges were so amazing that for the first time in months (or maybe years), I wanted to take a picture of this beauty. Unfortunately, I was late and half the tart was already eaten.

So, this time I made this dessert with a sole purpose of photographing it. Well, and a delicious side effect of eating it.

Thin Apple Tart Serves 6-8 adapted from Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tarts Cream cheese – 2 oz Unsalted butter, room temperature – 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) Flour – 1/2 cup + more for dusting Sugar – 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup + more for sprinkling Salt – 1/8 teaspoon Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons Brandy – 2 tablespoons Apple – 1 big Cinnamon – 1/8 teaspoon

Preheat ove to 400F.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/8 cup of sugar, lemon juice and brandy.

Half and core the apple. Leave skin on.

Cut each half into 1/4-inch slices.

Transfer to lemon-brandy syrup and mix to coat well.

Let stand for a few minutes or up to two hours.

Combine cream cheese and butter in a food processor. Mix well.

Add the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt. Process until combined. Dough will be sticky!!

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, with lightly floured fingers, pat dough into an 8-inch round.

Drain apple slices.; reserve the syrup.

Arrange around outer edge of dough, overlapping slightly.

Arrange remaining slices in center.