Many projects I work on have a moratorium on sharing. Sometimes by me, other times by the publisher or editor who usually lets me know when I can start blabbing about it. Sometimes the lead times are long (a year or two in advance!), other times I just have to wait a month or two until whatever I photographed has hit the streets.
Of course, most of the time it’s ok to share a little bit via Instagram and Facebook, but I usually err on the side of caution and keep my mouth shut.
Which is painful when there are great recipes I want to talk about. Like this one. Oh my goodness, this one.
I am a peanut butter freak, and combined with an apple or banana it’s my standard sweet snack. I knew I’d love this recipe from Jenny Flake’s The Picky Palate Cookbook
I think I ate the whole damn thing.
Jenny says it’s easy to make, which it is. The hard part was waiting for quite some time to share this recipe, and now that it’s out you really should try it. And the book, too. I’ve given a few copies to friends, not only to show them what we’ve been up to but also to encourage them to get into the kitchen and make stuff. Mainly this. And then to call me and invite me over so I can enjoy my favorite flavor combination via the ever-so-delightful Jenny Flake.
Honeyed Apple–Peanut Butter Tart
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons honey, warmed, divided
2 apples of choice, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup powdered sugar, for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
2. Cut the puff pastry into 3 equal-size rectangles and place on the prepared baking sheet. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the peanut butter in the microwave until liquid-like, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of the honey and stir to combine, then spread evenly over the 3 pastry rectangles, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
3. Layer the apple slices neatly over the peanut butter. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining honey in the microwave for 15 seconds, until liquid-like. Drizzle over the apples, sprinkle with the sugar, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned and puffed around the edges. Let cool completely, then drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons honey. Dust with the powdered sugar. Serve as whole tarts or cut each tart into fourths.
Recipe reprinted by permission, The Picky Palate Cookbook by Jenny Flake (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2012. Photograph by yours truly.
Matt Armendariz is a writer and photographer who lives in Los Angeles and chronicles his passion for food and travel on his blog MattBites. His latest book is "On a Stick!"