Camembert Candy Apple Tart: 5 Star Makeover

Apples were the theme for this month's Five Star Makeover. 

My first choice was a savory apple bread pudding with a spicy roasted peanut crust, but thanks to my awesome multi tasking skills, I burnt the batch and started from scratch with a new and improved recipe.

Tim had purchased some Camembert cheese, and came up with this sweet, rich and creamy tart. Just a hint of tartness to balance it out, these flavors paired brilliantly together. It's safe to say I am very pleased with the finished result. It turned out way better than that bread pudding ever could have.

Camembert is a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese. Feel free to experiment and exchange it for the slightly similar, ever popular brie cheese. Next time I'd love to purchase some figs and include them in the recipe somehow.

I hope you enjoy making these and consuming them as much as Tim and I did!

Camembert Candy Apple Tart 
Golden delicious apple puree
Caramelized apples
Camembert cheese mousse
Individual tart shells
Crushed peanuts for garnish

Apple puree:

2 golden delicious apples, peeled and diced

1/3 cup of water

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon of anise extract

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pot with lid. On medium heat, cook until all the water is just absorbed, the apples should not have color. 

Place sauce pot ingredients in a blender and puree. Add a little water to get the puree going. 

Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

Caramelized apples:

2 apples, peeled and julienned

4 tablespoons of butter

3/4 cup of brown sugar

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter on medium high. Add apples, toss and saute lightly, lower heat to medium. Add brown sugar, stir softly (splashing hot sugar can cause burns). 

As soon as sugar is melted through, remove pan from heat. 

Camembert Cheese Mousse:

1/2 lb of Camembert cheese, rhine removed, sliced into cubes

1/4 cup of whole milk

1/4 cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons of corn syrup

Place all ingredients in a blender, puree until you achieve a cheesecake like consistency.

Super Easy Tart Shell Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

After preparing the dough, press into individual tart shells using a muffin tin.
Change baking time to 20 minutes.

When the tart shells are baked off and cooled, fill them with Camembert mousse, 2 layers of caramelized apples, sprinkle with crushed peanuts.
Pipe more mousse around the tart shell, use reserved caramel to drizzle on top.
Place a layer of apple puree on the serving plate, and the tart on top.