Early update because…..

The Babes have been baking again!

Check back tomorrow to see what mischief we’ve been up to this month.

In the meantime, mon mari has not been basking in his accomplishments.

First, he finished the frame around the opening between the kitchen and the hall.

Notice the green door frame?

Second, he finished the frames around the other three doors off the hall.

No more green doors – at least from the hall view….

What’s next?

The den.

The deer feet came off the fireplace; the wall paper came off the walls.

In theory, the den should require the least amount of work of any room in the house.

But, one never knows what one may find.

There is a cupboard built into the wall.  I try to avoid it because it’s full of spiders, cobwebs and filth.

Mon mari attacked it with his hammer.

He uncovered some nice stone work… Which will, of course, require re-pointing.

For now, he’s decided to close the doors….

He’ll refinish the doors, but the insides will wait for another day.

There’s a cupboard like this in the other two rooms as well.

Anyway, cupboards will wait.

He painted the ceiling…. That’s a real ceiling rose, we discovered.

And this is a really, really easy apple tart.

I’ve used puff pastry to make lots of savory tarts and pastries, but never, until now, used it for it’s true purpose: a sweet tart.

This was the first of many

Apple Tart

1 large cooking apple
1 tbs butter
4 tbs ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 sheet puff pastry

Cut puff pastry in half.
Core apples and thinly slice. Heat butter in medium skillet, add apple slices and sauté over medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes, just until warmed through.
Lay puff pastry on baking sheet, either nonstick or lightly oiled. With a knife lightly score a line around the edge of each pastry, about 1/3″ (.75 cm) from the edge. Do not cut through the pastry! (A butter knife works best.)
Divide the ricotta spread within the scored lines. Arrange the apple slices on the ricotta.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 420F (210C) for 10 – 12 minutes, until sides of pastry have puffed around middle and are golden brown. Remove and serve.

Puff Pastry