I'm bad. Yes, yes, I know. I joined, I posted once a while back, and haven't since. But here I shall post again, and with a vengeance! Mwahahahaha.

Okay, I went overboard. For this one, you'll need those little 4-inch false-bottom tart pans - you can pick them up pretty much anywhere. I think I've even seen them at Wal-Mart, so check it out. Also, you will need some Chinese Five Spice Powder. This stuff you can get at any good specialty foods store or good Chinese market. You don't need a lot, trust me - so there's no sense in buying a huge amount. As my mom always said "A little dab'll do ya." Pie weights can also be bought at anyplace that sells baking equipment...but I never use them, personally. I find it easier to go to a grocery store and buy a bag of uncooked beans, lentils or rice. Once you get the dough in the pans, line it with foil, fill it with beans and bake. Works just as well, and you can save the beans and use them over and over again.

Now, without further ado...here's your yummy dessert!

Makes 10 tarts

Crust:
6 oz sugar
14 oz butter
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 lb Bread Flour (All-Purpose will work, if absolutely necessary)

Filling:
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 Anjou Pear, peeled, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp Crystallized (or candied) Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Lemon Juice

Topping:
1/2 c Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Chinese Five-Spice Powder

Crust:
1) Place sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in bowl, blend well.
2) Add bread flour, mix until smooth.
3) Press out flat and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 30 minutes.
4) Roll out to 1/8" and line tart pans with dough. Line with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights*.
5) Bake at 375° until set, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
1) Combine apples, pears, brown sugar, ginger, flour, and lemon juice. Let stand 15 minutes.
2) Heat a small frying pan or saucepan, add apple mixture. Cook, stirring often, until apples and pears are slightly softened (about 4 minutes).
3) Place apple mixture in tart shells. You may spoon it in, but I prefer to lay each slice out in a neat spiral pattern. This allows for more even baking and a prettier end product.
4) Bake until crust is golden brown and apples and pears are tender (if you poke it with a toothpick, there should be no resistance whatsoever), about 25 minutes.

Topping:
1) Whip cream until frothy.
2) Add honey and 5-spice powder, whip until stiff peaks form.
3) Do you like your apple pie warm? If so, feel free to have the tart heated when serving (it's better warmed, anyway, in my opinion). Be sure that if you do heat it, serve it immediately after topping with the whipped cream - if the cream sits on the hot tart, it will melt into an ugly mess.

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