News from Shelburne Vineyard

December
Wine & Pairing

2008
Vidal Blanc IceWine

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A delicately sweet and perfectly balanced dessert wine with notes of apple and honey. Made entirely from our own Vidal grapes harvested in December 2008 at a chilly 15° F
$25

&

Apple-Cranberry
Brown Butter Tart

Crust:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
1-2 Tbsp ice water

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch table salt
1 cup (about 4 oz) fresh or frozen unthawed cranberries
2 medium apples *

*(choose apples that will hold their shape when thinly sliced and add a sweet note tothe tart cranberries. Cortland, Empire, and Rome have all worked well for us. Golden Delicious would also be a fine choice.)

To finish:
3 Tbsp apple jelly, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F with a rack in the lowest position.

2. Prepare the crust: Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. In a small bowl or cup, whist together the egg yolk and 1 Tbsp ice water. Drizzle the egg yolk mixture through the food processor feed tube and pulse about fifteen times, just until the dough forms large lumps. You may need to add the second Tbsp of ice water.

3. Dump the dough out into a 10-inch tart pan, ideally with a removable bottom. Starting with the sides, press the dough lightly with your fingers to make a 1/4 inch thick crust. Distribute the remaining dough evenly over the bottom of the pan and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Pat the dough into place with your fingers or use the rounded bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Remove the plastic wrap and prick the crust about a dozen times with a fork. Bake the crust for 15-17 minutes or until the edge is golden brown and the center is golden. Remove the crust to a cooling rack. Reduce the temperature to 350° F.

4. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling: In a small, light-colored saucepan set over med heat, melt the butter and cook until light brown solids appear on the bottom of the pan, about 7-8 minutes. Watch closely toward the end, and when you see brown appear in the butter, take the pan off the heat immediately.

5. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs with the brown sugar and 1/3 cup of the white sugar at high speed until thick, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the flour and salt and then the browned butter, including the light brown solids. Coarsely chop 3/4 cup of the cranberries and stir them into the brown butter batter. (You can chop the cranberries in the food processor used for the crust. Just wipe it out with a paper towel.)

6. Peel the apples and cup them into quarters. Cut out the core with a pairing knife and slice each quarter into about 6-8 thin half moons.

7. Spread the brown butter and cranberry batter evenly into the bottom of the tart shell. Then arrange two circles of overlapping apple slices around the outside edge of the tart, leaving a 2-inch open circle in the middle.

8. Arrange the remaining 1/4 cup of cranberries in the open circle, pressing them down a little into the batter. Sprinkle them with the remaining 2 tsp of sugar.

9. Bake the tart for 40-45 min until the filling is light golden brown and the apples golden. Cool the tart on a rack for about 1 hour and then brush the apples with the melted jelly. Let sit 10 min before serving.

Recipe excerpted from:

Cooking with Shelburne Farms: Food and Stories
from Vermont

By Melissa Pasanen with Rick Gencarelli, Viking Studio, September 2007