Buttermilk Cream Tart

Name: Buttermilk Cream Tart
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: All-purpose flour, for dusting; 1 box store-bought puff pastry, preferably all butter, thawed, or 1/4 recipe Puff Pastry (page 334); 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup sugar; 2/3 cup heavy cream; 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (1 envelope); 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk (not nonfat); Pinch of salt; Poached Apple Roses (page 342)

January 24, 2012

It’s as nice a Mother’s Day present as a bouquet of fresh flowers, but even sweeter: Delicate poached apple slices, rolled up to resemble blooms, make a pretty arrangement atop a bed of buttermilk cream in a flaky puff-pastry shell. You can bake the pastry and poach the apple slices a day ahead; refrigerate apples submerged in the poaching liquid. Because the filling needs half an hour to set, spread it on the cooled baked pastry and shape the roses (page 342) while you wait.

Recipe notes

Rosemary and Dried Cherry Pork Chops

Rehydrating dried cherries in hot water turns them plump and juicy—exactly what you want scattered throughout a rosemary-scented pan sauce for pork chops.

Brussels Sprout Pasta

This brussels sprout pasta recipe taps nutty brown butter, crunchy pecans, and hot Italian sausage to create an easy dinner bursting with fall flavors.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Frijoles Peruanos (Peruvian Refried Beans)

Mayocobas, or canary beans, are the quick-cooking pantry ingredient you should know about.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

French Silk Pie

A no-bake Oreo crust, a rich chocolate filling, and a tower of whipped cream come together in this shut-the-room-up dessert.