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

Carrot Cake with Honey

I got this recipe from allrecipes online. Not that it is the only place, but when I decided I wanted the first birthday cake to be made with honey, it was the only one I could find.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups honey
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrot
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

In a large bowl, stir together the honey, buttermilk, eggs, oil and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until well blended.

Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture, and stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Stir in the carrot, pineapple, and walnuts by hand. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.


The frosting I wasn't thrilled with. It has a different texture which day of is fine and delicious. The day or two after it isn't so great. Maybe I should have refrigerated the cake. I also considered using butter for some of the cream cheese...but I haven't tried it yet.

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the frosting, mix together the cream cheese, honey and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth and well blended. Spread over the cooled cake.