bon vivant!

for the past month or two our group of friends has been trying to meet up for a simple dinner. sounds easy enough, right? NOT! our schedules always collide so there is always someone missing....TRES SAD PEOPLE!!! our attempts this week have also proved unfruitful so we have ended up doing a double-dinner-date btwn dave/me and E/her bf A.

she emailed us a VERY exciting menu....

app: hachapuri (georgian cheese bread!)
main: vodka marinated steak
sides: potatoes au gratin, brussel sprouts w/chestnuts, pancetta and parsley

i was so inspired that i decided to volunteer a dessert. french apple tart recipe courtesy of ina garten!

pastry ingredients:
-2 cups all purpose flour
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-1 tablespoon sugar
-12 tables spoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
-1/2 cup ice water

filling:
-4 granny smith apples
-1/2 cup sugar
-4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

topping:
-1/2 cup apricot jelly OR warmed sieved apricot jam if u can't find jelly
-2 tablespoons calvados (a french apple brandy), rum or water

directions (i am going to diverge from ina's instructions for the pastry dough b/c i am far too lazy to break out and wash the food processor. this works just as well, i promise!)

1. mix dry ingredients. on your counter, dump dry mixture on top of butter and combine with hands. add ice water in small batches to help the dough come together. once uniform, knead dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. preheat oven to 400 degrees F. line sheet pan with parchment paper

3. roll dough to approximately 10x14 inches. use ruler and small knife to trim edges so straight and even. place dough on pan and refrigerate as you prep apples.

4. peel apples. cut in half through the stem. remove stem and cores with knife and melon baller. slice apples CROSSWISE in 1/4 inch thick slices. place apple slices on tart by overlapping in rows. cover entire pastry with apple slices. sprinkle entire tart with sugar (i like to mix in cinnamon) and dot with diced butter.

6. bake for 45-60 mins or until pastry/apples begin to slightly brown.

7. heat up apricot jelly/sieved apple jam with your liquid of choice. once the pastry looks almost done, take it out and brush it with this jelly mixture. throw back into oven for a few minutes.

8. EAT ITTTTT. maybe after it cools a little bit.