Lavender Rose Baklava
This delicious treat makes for a perfect Valentine’s Day treat…or just a delectable dessert for any day!
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In the fall, the Connecticut landscape is abundant with one of America’s most popular and beloved ingredients. With over 2,500 varieties in the U.S. alone, the apple has long been a significant part of New England culture and society. From local orchards and cider mills providing pick-your-own fields and fresh apple cider to the hometown markets producing cider donuts and “mile high” apple pies, the apple’s impact on our small state dates back centuries.
From crisp and tart to soft and juicy, apples are an extremely versatile fruit in the kitchen. They can be utilized in both sweet and savory applications, pairing extremely well with pork and duck. Here, however, I prefer to use them in the most classic way possible — as a dessert.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: one 19" tart
Litchfield Cinnamon Bourbon Custard
- 1 quart milk
- 5 eggs
- 12 ounces sugar
- 4 ounces cake flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 ounces Litchfield Distillery Cinnamon Bourbon (or preferred cinnamon-flavored bourbon)
Pastry Crust
- 4 ounces butter
- 8 ounces sugar
- 12 ounces all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 6 apples (Granny Smith or other tart variety preferred)
- 4 ounces sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation
Custard
In a medium-size sauce pan, bring milk to a boil. In a separate mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, cake flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and bourbon. Once milk comes to a boil, slowly whisk in the egg mixture until well combined. Bring mixture back to a boil while whisking for 30 seconds. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature.
Pastry Crust
Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until well combined. (Most easily accomplished with the paddle attachment on a mixer, but an eggbeater can also work.) Scrape down sides of the bowl, then add all-purpose flour and egg. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cooking
Peel and chop 4 apples. Reserve 2 to slice and use as garnish. Toss the chopped apples with the sugar and cinnamon. Roll out pastry crust to a 14” circle, about ¼ inch thick. Place circle in the bottom of a 9” cake pan, with extra dough lining the sides of the pan. Place half the custard mixture in the bottom of the pan, onto the crust, then place half of the apple mixture on top of the custard. Repeat process with remaining half of custard and apple mixture. Use the two reserved apples to fan slices around the top of the mixture in a clockwise motion. Fold any spare pastry crust at the top of the tart towards the center, slightly overlapping the fanned apples. Bake in a 350℉ degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Cool and remove from cake pan before slicing.
More Delicious Desserts!
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