apple tart + spiced pastry cream + cinnamon shortbread

"Down the last rolling hill where the perfect untrampled grass met the erratic dirt, the maple trees blushed. The wind blew a subtle sweetness through the woods and it mixed with the grass as it came up and filled the air with the scent of autumn."

That's a snippet of the book I'm trying to write with my brother. But it's also a testament to how busy this past year has been. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has made our recipes and followed us from the very beginning. Over this past year, I've come across nothing but warmth and support from all of you in the food blogging universe, which you may be familiar, is notorious for being intensely cutthroat and competitive (or so I've been told, I'm still new to this). 

With our one year anniversary in concurrence with the official start of the autumn season I thought it would only be proper to make something that epitomizes the elegance and flavors of the new harvest. This decked out apple tart consists of a cinnamon shortbread tart shell, filled with a pastry cream spiked with autumn spices and topped with sliced apples. I mean does it get any better? (no it doesn't)

mini blueberry tarts

If you are not reading this on President's Day, please omit the first four sentences, not including this one. Well President's Day is here again. How many of you know why we have that holiday? And you call yourself an American.* Well it doesn't really matter why we celebrate it as to what we'll be doing with it, and you know what I'll be doing, eating Blueberry Tarts. It's true, these tarts are a labor of love. First you have to make a crust, then pastry cream, and then macerate blueberries, it's a lot of work. But it's so worth it. The combination of buttery crust, smooth thick cream and sweet berries, I don't think there is a better pie/tart filling combination. Well tied with bananas and cream and cookies and cream but they're all close firsts. Anyways, besides being super tasty, these aren't half bad to look at either. So I hope you guys check this one out, scroll down so you can learn how to be the envy at this year's President's Day party. Just a reminder, all of the ingredients for this and all my other chow-fections can be found at the bottom of the posts. :)