Apple and Apricot Tart

I have an insatiable sweet tooth- truly. But don't go lumping me in with all of the self-proclaimed "chocoholics" out there because that's not me. Good chocolate is phenomenal but I believe it is one of the things that should be left alone. In its purest form, you just can't get better than a single piece of good quality chocolate or a simple brownie- not this disgusting excuse for chocolate that is made out of corn syrup and more than 16 different kinds of chemicals... that would be why American's are fat.

Here's my theory- if we all could just learn that its about quality rather than quantity, we would be much better off. That's how the French do it. Have you ever wondered why you go to Europe and there isn't a single obese person there yet every meal is accompanied by a glass of wine and dessert? It is because these people have it right- they don't even attempt to satiate their craving for something sweet with highly-processed artificial sweeteners and preservatives; they go right to the source.

In a world where I am constantly bombarded with Twix and Oreo McFlurry advertisements, my dessert craving lies in something totally different- fruit. And summer is the perfect time to experiment with all that nature's natural sweetener has to offer. 

So here is my recipe for an Apple and Apricot Tart. I find that in the sweltering heat of summer, tarts are the perfect dessert: they can be served hot, cold, or room temperature, and when made with fruit, they don't feel as heavy as eating a piece of chocolate cake would. *I have to be honest, when doing my research for this post, I came across Paula Deen's recipe and was inspired. She uses sour cream in her pie crust and custard filling and surprisingly, it works perfectly. So thanks Paula for the idea, you a complete genius when it comes to taking something healthy, adding a stick of butter, and making it dangerously delicious.

I would also like to thank Susan and Mitchell James for giving me my very first tart dish which allowed me to make this recipe. I couldn't be more thankful for such wonderful friends.

Apple and Apricot Tart:

The Players:

The Crust:

1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 stick of room-temperature butter

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 egg

Filling:

5 apples, peeled cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup apricot preserves

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 T rum or orange juice

Game Time:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, carefully blend together the sour cream, butter, and the egg. Add the flour and pulse until a dough has formed. 

With lightly floured hands, carefully remove the dough from the food processor and press into the bottom of an ungreased tart dish. Press the dough so that it is even across the bottom and rises up slightly along the sides. 

Bake pie crust for 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Lower oven temperature to 350. Allow the crust to cool before filling.

Layer in circles the apple slices allowing them to mound slightly in the center. 

Combine the sour cream, sugar, apricot preserves, egg yolks, and flour in a bowl. Pour mixture over the apples and bake for one hour. If apples begin to get too dark, tent the dish with aluminum foil.

For the glaze, wisk together the preserves and the rum. While the tart is still hot, carefully brush the glaze over the apples.