If you still have cranberries left over from your holiday celebrations, here is a wonderful recipe that will see you into a healthy fruitful New Year!
Cranberry Tart
Time: 2 hours plus 1 hour’s chilling
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup instant or fine polenta
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups (12-ounce bag) fresh cranberries, picked over
1/2 cup heavy cream
Confectioners’ sugar, optional.
1. Place 1 1/4 cups flour, polenta, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and lemon zest in a food processor and process to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. In a small bowl, beat whole egg with oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Uncover processor, pour in liquid ingredients and pulse until a ball of dough forms. This may take 20 or more quick pulses. If necessary, sprinkle in a little water if mixture does not come together. Form dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.
2. In a 3-quart saucepan, melt remaining sugar over low heat. Stir in syrup and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, until they begin to release juice. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to an 12-inch circle and fit into a 10-inch loose-bottom tart pan. If dough tears, it can easily be pressed together.
4. In a bowl, whisk together cream and 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in three egg yolks, remaining vanilla and a pinch of salt. Pour over cranberries and fold together. Pour into tart shell, place pan on a baking sheet and bake about 40 minutes, until filling bubbles but is not yet firm, and pastry browns. Cool in pan before removing sides; if desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Quinces are a “backyard” fruit: very little is commercially grown. You can use a quince in whatever dish you would normally use an apple. Quinces can be found in a few grocery stores and at the farmers’ markets, but the best ones are those grown by you, your neighbours, or friends. This is a great recipe to share with a friend who has a quince tree!

Quince Tart Tatin.
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2–inch cubes
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 small quinces (about 3 1/4 pounds), peeled, each cut into 1–inch–wide wedges, cored

For crust:
Mix first 3 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 3 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; add to processor. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

For filling:
Fill large skillet with ice cubes; set aside.
Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy 11–inch–diameter ovenproof skillet. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium–high; boil until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush and swirling skillet, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and cinnamon. Immediately place skillet with caramel atop ice in large skillet; let stand until caramel is cold and hardened, about 30 minutes. Remove skillet from ice.
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Arrange quince wedges tightly together, rounded side down, in concentric circles atop caramel in skillet. Fill center with any broken quince pieces. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12 1/2–inch round. Place dough atop quinces; tuck edges of dough down around sides of quinces. Make three 2–inch–long cuts in center of dough to allow steam to escape during baking. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until quinces are tender and crust is deep golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 30 minutes.
Place large platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing tart to slide out onto platter. Rearrange any dislodged quince wedges, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is from The New York Times, 6 Oct 2010. I am a muffin fan and this recipe is terrific.

Upside-Down Caramel-Apple Muffins
Time: 30 minutes Yield: 12 muffins.
FOR THE APPLE TOPPING
3 apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
FOR THE MUFFINS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir together the apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 8 tablespoons butter and pinch salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Distribute the apple slices among the muffin cups. Add walnuts, if using, on top of the apple slices.
3. To make the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 8 tablespoons butter, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together until smooth. Distribute the batter on top of the apples. Bake until the muffins are slightly puffed, about 20 to 22 minutes.
5. Allow the muffins to cool partly in the pan; turn onto a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.

The last of the fresh, u-pick neighbourhood blackberries provide just enough for this recipe! And the new crop of apples can be found at fruit stands, in gardens, farmers’ markets, and grocery stores. This recipe is a combination of two favourites of mine. The photo is from a recent Williams-Sonoma catalogue and just jumped out at me!

Apple-Blackberry Cobbler
Ingredients for filling:
3 1/2 lb. each Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 slices
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tbs. cornstarch
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 pints blackberries
Ingredients for dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup whole milk

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice. Transfer to a large cassoulet, cover and set over medium heat. Cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 45 minutes. Fold in the blackberries.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in another large bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and stir just until a dough forms.
Drop mounds of dough (each 2 to 3 Tbs.) over the filling, leaving some space between the mounds for the dough to spread. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar (included with the cobbler mix) on top. (Mound leftover dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes; serve with the cobbler.)
Bake the cobbler, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serves 10 to 12.

Even though this recipe calls for Fuji apples, the Honey Crisps also work well. Of course, they are also great for munching raw.

Apple Custard Tart

Instead of apples baked in a crust, this apple tart relies on poached apples tucked into a tart that’s baked “blind” or empty. Most fruit tarts like this one use a milk custard, but we think the poaching liquid, in this case a cup of apple cider spiked with a cinnamon stick and a little lemon juice or cider vinegar to cut the sweetness, makes a brighter and more appropriate filling. So making the tart involves three steps: making the crust, poaching the apples, then transforming the poaching liquid into a custard. Assembly of the three elements should take place just before the tart is served.
For the crust:
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch bits
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 egg white
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, optional
For the Filling:
3 medium Fuji apples, preferably organic
1 cup apple cider, preferably organic
2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 and line the bottom of a two-piece 10-inch spring form pan with a circle of baker’s parchment or spray it with non-stick spray.
2.) To make the pastry for the crust, put the flour in the work bowl of a food processor, or in a mixing bowl. Work in the butter, sugar and salt. If using a food processor, process just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; leave some chunks of butter about the size of bee-bees. Add the egg white and pulse the motor or work the mixture with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together into a scrappy heap. Do not knead or overwork; it is not necessary to make the dough into a smooth ball.
3.) On a floured surface, roll the pastry dough into a 10-inch circle and plant the circle in a pie pan. Line the pastry with a piece of baker’s parchment or aluminum foil and fill it with rice or beans or special pie weights. Bake the pastry until the edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment with the rice or beans and bake until the center of the crust is dry and just beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes more.
4.) While the crust is baking and cooling, poach the apples for the filling. Start by poaching the apples. Peel and core the apples and cut each one into 8 wedges. Pile them along with the cinnamon stick into a large, enameled cast iron soup kettle or Dutch oven and pour on the apple cider. Cook over medium-high heat until the cider is boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer just until apples are tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the apples from the simmering cider to a clean plate and allow them to cool while you make custard with the poaching liquid.
5.) To make the custard, whisk together the egg, the egg yolk, the sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl; whisk in about half of the simmering cider then transfer the tempered egg mixture to the pot and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is boiling vigorously. Transfer the cooked custard back to the mixing bowl, whisk in the butter, and let it cool for 15 minutes or so.
6.) When the tart shell has cooled completely, fill it with the apple cider custard and arrange the poached apple slices over the surface. Serve it at room temperature or refrigerate and serve chilled.

While any fig is a good fig, my favourites are kalmyra or Turkish figs. Their skins are light green and rouge stripes, they are succulent: I eat them skin and all. This recipe makes a great hors d’oeuvre or a savory dessert or lunch or…..

Fig Tart With Caramelized Onions, Rosemary and Stilton
Time: 1 1/2 hours
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions (1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 sprig rosemary, more for garnish
Pinch sugar
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
Flour for dusting
3/4 pound prepared puff pastry
1 pint fresh figs ( 3/4 pound), stemmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 1/2 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled (about 6 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Good-quality honey for drizzling, optional.
1. In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions, rosemary and sugar. Cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are limp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. Stir in the onions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.
3. Use a fork to spread onion mixture evenly over pastry (let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl), leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange figs, cut-side up, in even rows on onion mixture. Scatter cheese and pine nuts over figs. Use a pastry brush to dab edges of tart with egg mixture. Gently fold over edges of tart to form a lip and brush with more egg mixture.
4. Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with rosemary needles and drizzled with honey, if desired, warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 8 servings.

The discussion about 10 days ago on currants reminded me of another fruit that should have more notice and traction: quince. These are easily grown in urban areas, are wonderful as the base of various sauces, as well as in pies and tarts. Any apple recipe can be made using quinces instead.

Quince Tart Tatin.
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2–inch cubes
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 small quinces (about 3 1/4 pounds), peeled, each cut into 1–inch–wide wedges, cored

For crust:
Mix first 3 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 3 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; add to processor. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

For filling:
Fill large skillet with ice cubes; set aside.
Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy 11–inch–diameter ovenproof skillet. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium–high; boil until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush and swirling skillet, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and cinnamon. Immediately place skillet with caramel atop ice in large skillet; let stand until caramel is cold and hardened, about 30 minutes. Remove skillet from ice.
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Arrange quince wedges tightly together, rounded side down, in concentric circles atop caramel in skillet. Fill center with any broken quince pieces. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12 1/2–inch round. Place dough atop quinces; tuck edges of dough down around sides of quinces. Make three 2–inch–long cuts in center of dough to allow steam to escape during baking. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until quinces are tender and crust is deep golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 30 minutes.
Place large platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing tart to slide out onto platter. Rearrange any dislodged quince wedges, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.