emily's christmas tart

Mirabella's Auntie Emily made this stunning fruit tart for Christmas and I thought it was so beautiful I had to post her recipe here. I'm sure it was delicious, too, by the sound of the ingredients, and wish I could have shared it with her!

This tart just looks so fresh, sweet, and full of dynamic, contrasting flavors. The filling is made of almonds, and the exotic melange of fruits she used includes kiwis, berries, and apples. I love the way the raspberry sauce glistens in the light, intensifying the dazzling array of colors produced by the fruits and berries. It reminds me of some enchanted dish from a fairy tale.

Auntie Emily studying her medicine books with Princess Mirabella

Ingredients

For the crust:

6 T butter

1 T oil

3 T water

pinch of salt

1 to 1.5 c flour

4 T sugar

For the filling:

1 c ground almonds

1/2 c sugar

1-2 thinly sliced granny smith apples

1 c mixed berries

2 thinly sliced kiwis

2 T butter

2 T lemon juice

3 T raspberry jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Heat butter, oil, salt, and water in a pan until the butter melts. Set aside to cool. Add 1 cup of the flour and all the sugar to the butter mixture, mix in and then add more flour slowly until the dough forms a ball that doesn't stick to the pan.

Press dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Put in the oven for 5-8 min until crust is lightly brown. Remove and let cool.

Combine the ground almonds and 1/4 c sugar and place into bottom of tart crust. Arrange the fruit on top. Sprinkle with another 1/4 c sugar and 1 T lemon juice to moisten and keep the fruit fresh.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Combine jam and 1 T lemon juice in a small pan and heat. Brush over the top of the baked tart. Let it cool before cutting, and enjoy!

krupnik / polish honey vodka

As far as I can tell there's really no reason not to infuse vodka. Raspberries, lemons, cherries - any of these fruits make a magical vodka infusion, but I think among all the varieties of flavored vodka, krupnik, or honey vodka, is my favorite.

Krupnik is served hot as a traditional Christmas cordial in Poland, but it also makes a refreshing summer drink served cold or over ice. It's an excellent way to turn a mediocre bottle of vodka into a smooth, celebratory drink. I usually buy an inexpensive bottle like Svedka. There's no need to splurge here - the vodka will taste great once it mingles with the honey and spices.



I think Princess Mirabella wants to be a Svedka model because she kept striking poses around the bottle.


Ingredients

2 cups honey

2 cups water

6 cinnamon sticks

10 cloves

1/4 t ground nutmeg

peel of 1 orange

1 t vanilla

5 cups of vodka

cheesecloth (optional)

Directions

Simmer all ingredients except vodka in a covered pot for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Return to heat, bring to a boil, and add vodka. Remove from heat immediately after vodka has been added.

Cool the mixture. Once it is room temperature, you may strain it through the cheesecloth. (This step is only necessary if you want the vodka to be clear and uniform. It's perfectly fine to serve the vodka with the spices and orange peel still in it.)

To serve hot:

Reheat the strained liquid, ladle into mugs.

To serve cold or over ice:

Once the vodka has cooled, store it in the freezer. I keep mine in a big mason jar. The vodka tastes best if it's been stored in the freezer for a couple of weeks so that the flavors have time to really blend.

Na zdrovie! Wszystkiego najlepszego w nowym roky!