Green Apple Tart

So, my husband and I cut sugar out of our diet each year right after New Year's (usually until Valentine's Day).  It's just a way for us to eat healthier and not be constantly tempted with treats (as we were the whole month of December because who says no to homemade toffee and peanut brittle?).  We made this on Sunday to satisfy our sweet tooth one month into it.  It was pretty good and reminescent of apple pie.  I didn't have a tart pan, so I just used a 9 inch spring form pan, but it's best to place on top of a cookie sheet as the sauce may leak out of the bottom of the pan. 

Green Apple Tart with Vanilla Pecan Crust
from deliciousliving.com

Serves 8 / This scrumptious tart strikes a rare balance between rich and not-too-sweet. Prep tips: Fresh vanilla bean adds a decadent element, but you can substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a pinch. A mandoline makes it easy to slice apples uniformly, but a good sharp knife works too.


Vanilla Pecan Crust
3/4 cup pecans
5 dates, pitted
1 vanilla bean pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2/3cup blanched almond flour or almond meal (I accidentally used regular flour and it still turned out)
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling
4 medium Granny Smith apples (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick (I used 3 and it was plenty)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Place pecans and dates in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Slit vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape inside to remove vanilla beans; add to pecan mixture and pulse until well ground. Pulse in flour, egg, and salt. Continue pulsing until mixture begins to form a ball. Lightly coat a 9-inch tart pan with oil or cooking spray. Using wet hands, press crust onto bottom and up sides of tart pan; prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until crust is dry, firm, and lightly browned. Cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 350˚. In a large bowl, toss together apple slices, lemon juice, arrowroot, agave, and cinnamon. Fan out apples on top of prebaked crust, forming a circle; then layer more apples over the first circle and in the center. Pour accumulated juices over apples. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 50 minutes, until apples are soft but still have some texture. Cool before serving.

PER SERVING: 235 cal, 13g fat (4g mono, 2g poly, 1g sat), 26mg chol, 4g protein, 30g carb, 4g fiber, 49mg sodium

Breakfast Cafe Cinnamon Crumb Cake (Dairy Free)

My youngest child is allergic to dairy, so I modified a favorite coffee cake recipe from the book "A Passion for Baking" by Marcy Goldman to make it dairy-free. This recipe would also make terrific muffins.

The flavor is best when you use a vegan margarine (non-hydrogenated), but you can also use oil.

1/2 c. vegan margarine, melted

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c . white sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 c. chopped pecans

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 c. applesauce

1 c. soy milk

1 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Generously spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, blend margarine, flour, both sugars, salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove 3/4 c. of this mixture and add chopped pecans and remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon to it. Set aside (this will be the crumb topping).

To remaining batter, add baking powder, baking soda, egg, vanilla, applesauce, soy milk and lemon juice. Using a hand whisk, blend well.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle on reserved crumb topping. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.