Ambrosia Apple and Brie Tart With Figs & Walnuts

Is there anything better than apples and cheese? This savoury and sweet Apple Tart makes the perfect first coarse for any occasion.  Delicious, beautiful and really quite easy to make, it will be a hit at your next dinner party.  And the figs and walnuts underneath the creamy Brie are a nice little surprise.

Ingredients:

• One pie crust (homemade, frozen or roll out, whichever you prefer)
• 6 dried figs
• 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/2 pound of Brie
• 3 to 4 Ambrosia apples
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of liquid – I use white wine but you can use your favorite liquor or apple juice
• Sea salt (or coarse salt)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Press the pie crust into your pan like you would for any pie.

Slice the dried figs and then arrange them over the crust.  Sprinkle the walnuts over the figs.

Cut the Brie into thin slices and cover the bottom of the tart (covering the figs and walnuts).

Cut your apples into thin slice and arrange them, overlapping, in a circle around the pan leaving the middle exposed. In the middle arrange the slices into a rose pattern (see picture).  For the “rose” you will want your apple slices to be quite thin so they don’t break when you are bending them.  The closer to the middle you get the more you will have to bend them.  If you find your slices aren’t thin enough and keep breaking put a few on a plate and microwave them in 5 second increments until they are JUST tender enough to bend.

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and the wine (or whichever liquid you are using). Pour over the apples. Grind a little bit of sea salt (just a couple of grinds) over the apples.

Put your tart in the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the Brie is bubbling.

Let cool for a good 15 minutes before serving.