Apple & Vanilla Tart Fine

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I woke up today to the muted colours in the forest behind our house and a pinch of light peaking from behind the clouds. It felt like rain, although I couldn't substantiate that from my position and with my eyes squinting and adjusting. It's my favourite moment of the day, partly awake and still kind of dreaming.

My wife was fast asleep, her eyes fluttering and her face so full of meaning. I stare at her across the bed from me and wonder if I'm dreaming. I could almost see the happiness hidden in that dream as a smile jumped on her face. I knew this would be a great, lazy day and the first moments would be spent watching her sleep. It's the small things that matter, especially when something is about to rip you from your bed.

Lying in bed is a memory worth stealing and there isn't a care in the world. My mind immediately picks up where it left off last weekend. But that changes with the realization that it's Friday, and the weekend is still a dream away.

I felt the surge of energy run through my body. My mind, still caught somewhere between never never land and that lazy feeling a moment prior, had better act fast. I had twenty minutes to get somewhere. And it takes a lot longer than that on most days.

There is something strangely exciting about having to push through your normal boundaries and neglect the morning rituals that keep us grounded and sane. The normal morning checklist was chucked. There was no time for that, it was about getting the basics done and rushing through that front door into the hectic pace of the real world outside.

As exhilarating as it may be to go from stop to start in record time, it plays havoc with your whole day. For the next few hours I'm riding a wave of energy and emotion. But, as quickly as it comes, it's gone. I hit a wall and the day will never be the same again. These are the moments in time I will never get back again.

My day can only be salvaged when I walk through the doors of my home. It explains the sense of relief I feel when I stand outside my front door with key in hand and peer through the window. No rush to enter, I enjoy the moment and the feeling fills me up. I take a deep breath and enter the one place on Earth that keeps me grounded and relaxed.

Although it was a frantic day, the slate is wiped clean when my jacket comes off and my wife wraps her arms around me. I'm temporarily taken back to a time hours sooner when I was lying in bed and staring at her. In a way it almost feels like I never left.

I head to the kitchen once I'm settled and start on this dessert. When people say a dessert is easy, they're talking about this Apple & Vanilla Tart Fine. Something this easy shouldn't taste this good. But it does. Which is just the kind of fortune I needed after a day like this. 

So we sit down with a couple of forks, a big glass of milk and decide to skip dinner. And I stare across the table at my wife and wonder if I'm dreaming. And if I ever left at all.

From my kitchen to yours, happy eating! 


Apple & Vanilla Tart Fine

The Goods:

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 3 large apples, cored and peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp.lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. icing sugar

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out puff pastry and place a plate on top and cut circle around it. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and use a fork to poke holes to prevent puffing.
2. Core, peel and thinly sliced the apples and mix with the lemon juice. Layer the apples around the puff pastry and the middle. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle the sugar over top, until fully covered.
3. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the apples are tender and the pastry is slightly browned.
4. Remove from oven and generously cover with icing sugar and use a blow torch to melt the suar. Alternatively, place it in the oven on the top shelf on broil and keep your eye on it. Once it caramelizes, remove.
5. Serve with ice cream or creme fraiche.