Apple Tart with Almond Cream

I recently had a weekend of back-to-back dinner parties with friends. As everyone knows my favorite meal of the day is dessert, it was no question as to what I would bring. I had a few apples on hand and, after a bit of recipe searching, this tart was born.
Both a blessing and a curse, I have high standards with myself when it comes to dinner parties. I just can't seem to bake something simple or something that doesn't involve spending 4 continuous hours in the kitchen. I tend to go out of my way to make something complex or decadent, like the pumpkin bread pudding I brought for Thanksgiving. I can't help myself. The wanna-be pastry chef in me aims to impress.
This apple tart with almond cream is a traditional French tart, also known as a Normandy Apple Tart or, as the French would say, Tarte aux Pommes à la Normande. The almond cream is rich and dominant. The apricot glaze keeps the almond flavor in check and provides a good flavor contrast. And the apples? Well, they are there to look pretty. The flavor of the apples are present, don't get me wrong, but they are subdued in light of the almond and apricot. This tart is really something to experience, with the multiple flavors and textures mixing and mingling in your mouth.

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Banana Nut Bread

Since I lack any and all self control around baked goods, I figure the least I can do for myself (and my waistline) is to bake healthier. Perhaps you have already noticed this in my recipes. I generally substitute applesauce and plain yogurt for butter and oil (in fact, I haven't used oil for months!). I use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose. And, I even cut down the amount of sugar in my recipes purely in the name of health! (Or, more honestly, because I don't like my foods too sweet).
Using whole wheat flour is definitely the most noticeable change. Whole wheat flour gives baked goods this fantastic texture and more diverse taste. My cakes and breads are also thicker and denser, meaning some of the "lightness" of the baked goods has been sacrificed. Though, I think this is made up in the good feelings I get knowing I'm eating some quality whole grains.
I can't even think of a negative effect by substituting applesauce and plain yogurt for butter and oil. There is not a noticeable loss in taste or texture, as far as I have been able to tell. Often I find my cakes and breads so moist I have to worry about them molding before they get completely devoured (I have shed tears over baked goods taken in their prime more than once). Isn't that the kind of "problem" a good baker should have? Unless I want something to be dark and decadent, making these simple substitutions is perfect for your everyday baking.
This banana nut bread is the healthiest loaf of banana bread ever conceived (or close to it). It is jam packed with bananas and almonds, lacks butter and oil, and uses maple syrup in place of sugar. It is tender and moist and absolutely everything you look for in a good banana bread. And it is good for you. I don't think anyone can argue with that.

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Chocolate Orange Miniature Cakes

For some unknown and terrible reason, I have met more people that cringe, make disgusted faces, and throw a hissy fit at the thought of consuming both something chocolate and orange at the same time. I have speculated this, but have not come to a clear conclusion. Is it because I am from the Midwest and, by general rule, we abhor new and different things? Is it because we Americans have not been properly exposed to this perfect match made in the great dessert heaven? Or, is it simply because I have not met the right people? The Europeans have fully embraced this combination, lining the the market shelves with Jaffa Cakes, Chocolate Oranges, and even the Orange Twix. They have discovered (and capitalized) on this not-so-secret heavenly combination, so why can't we?

At a young age, my sister and I happened upon this blend of flavors. Peeling fresh oranges as fast as we could, we would dip them in melted chocolate and devour them whole. Our faces would be smeared with chocolate from top to bottom. There was no time for savoring. It was a sheer hunger, a ravenous force, that drove us, needing to have moremoremore.

All I ask from you is that you do not turn up your nose at these chocolate orange cakes (though I am not sure you could hold yourself back from the wonderful aroma wafting upwards if you did).

The cake layer is dry and crumbly on its own, moistened fully by the orange syrup. The chocolate orange ganache adds just the right touch to bring this cake up to the next level. However, I found that the amount of ganache the original recipe called for was too much and overpowered the rest of the cake. By cutting down the ganache by a third, this seemed to solve tbe problem. A thinner layer of ganache could even be used to better highlight the flavors present in the cake.

This cake reminds me quite strongly of a Jaffa Cake (with an adult twist), minus the orange jam.

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