Lemon Prune Tart

I was in search of a delicious dessert using prunes- because old folks eat them all the time, and we always have tons in the dried fruit box. I came across a recipe for a lemon prune tart- sounded yummy, so I put it on the menu. When the time came to put it together, I realized how odd the recipe was, that I didn't have the time or the resources to make it, and so I came up with my own.

I used the custard from the "Fresh Lemon Bar" recipe in Cookies at the Academy (only the best cookie cookbook ever!), with a different crust, adapted it into pie form and added prunes. It turned out really good, and because it's such a good lemon bar recipe, you could make it with or without the prunes, or use another fruit instead.

Lemon Prune Tart
Makes 4 pies

Crust:
4 1/2 cups flour
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups butter

Custard:
16 eggs
8 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
zest of 4 lemons
dried prunes

confectioners' sugar for topping pies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine ingredients for crust in an electric mixer bowl and mix until a soft dough forms. Divide evenly between pie pans and press onto bottom and sides. Bake at 370 degrees for about 20 minutes, until golden browned. Cool.

Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees

While crust bakes, combine eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and gently stir to blend all ingredients, do not beat.

 

Place prunes in cooled tart crusts, about 10-15 per pan,

and pour lemon custard over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-22 minutes, until custard is set and lightly browned.

Sift confectioners' sugar over top and cut when cooled. Serve cool, or room temperature.

Enjoy your healthy-digestion dessert!

Fig Cookies

When I went to my grandparent's house as a young kid, I remember them often having fig newtons and school boy cookies, and those became things I associated with my grandparents, and therefore, old people. So when I found figs this morning at work (in the dried fruit box, of course), I decided to attempt to make fig cookies, be they newtons or not

I used my nifty iPhone to google some recipes real quick, and settled on the third one that came up- a simple drop cookie, rather than the first two that looked more complicated and time consuming, though maybe more attractive and tastier (though I don't know how). I guess we'll find out next time.

The Fig Drop Cookies were extremely easy to make, and absolutely delicious! The figs fell apart during the short cooking time, and the seeds ended up dispersed throughout the cookie dough, so the amazingly soft finished product had a little fig crackle in every bite.

Fig Drop Cookies
(Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried figs, chopped into little pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the water and figs to reconstitute and break down fruit. (Cool before adding to cookies.)
2. Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer's bowl with the paddle attachment. Blend in egg and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture until incorporated.
4. Mix in figs.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a prepared cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire racks, store in air-tight containers.

Makes about 30  1-1/2 inch cookies