By request of a comment, I’m going to share my two favorite apple dessert recipes. I could in theory live on apples this winter and meet my Dark Days challenge without breaking a sweat - this is of course the apple state. But then that might be cheating, or at least it would be boring. But I can eat apple desserts all winter and enjoy every single one.

*****

“a warm and crumbly apple tart”
serves 6 to 8
adapted from Nigel Slates “Appetite”

This is an amazingly easy, but yet so good dessert. And it keeps well, you can make it in the morning and serve it late at night

Pastry:

• 1/2 cup butter, cold from the fridge
• 1-1/3 cup flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbs sugar

Fruit:

• 7 - 8 apples, peeled and quartered
• 5 tbs butter
• 6 tbs sugar
• cinnamon
• nutmeg

To make the pastry, cut the butter into small pieces and combine with the flour with your finger tips or a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the egg yolk and sugar. Combine ingredients and form a ball of soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 F. While the pastry is chilling, make a caramel sauce with the butter in a metal pie pan, cake pan or frying pan (must be oven proof) over a medium burner. Once the caramel is a deep rich color, remove from heat and immediately press the fruit into the sauce. Crowd them in there, don’t be shy.

Sprinkle the fruit with cinnamon and nutmeg. Roll out the pastry to form a rough circle large enough to cover the fruit. Put it over the top and tuck it in around the edges - it doesn’t have to be pretty. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and fruit is bubbling around the edges. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Cover pan with a large plate and flip over so that fruit is on top and pastry is on the bottom. Slice and serve with ice cream.

*****

Laura’s favorite apple pie
serves 8 to 10

Same pastry recipe as above, but double the recipe and chill as two balls. I’ve been making apple pie since I was a kid. Nigel’s pastry recipe is the best I’ve found, but the filling comes from 15 years ago - Betty Crocker or Joy of Cooking, I can’t even remember anymore.

• 7 - 8 apples, peeled and sliced thinly
• dash of cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup of sugar (or to taste depending on how sweet your apples are)
• pat of butter
• dash of lemon

Preheat oven to 400 F. Make the pastry dough and put it in the fridge to chill. Peel and slice your apples. Put in a large bowl and toss with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Roll your bottom crust and put it in a deep dish pie tin. Pack the apples in there - they’ll be really mounded up. Put a pat of butter on top and sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll the top crust, place over top, tuck in sides and crimp edges. Cut a few slits in the top for venting. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until it looks and smells done.