🥧Desserts remind me of poems—they’re short and sweet. Here is a poem written by a friend of the Dreamer in The Reader’s Realm.

About The Author 🥧🍎🌿

Art for the wounded and chaotic.

Instagram : @jillianading

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🍎Apple Fennel Tart🥧

A sweet, spicy tart with a licorice bite!

Recipe:

Recipe Information

Total Time: ~30 minutes
Skill Level: Intermediate
Category: Celestial Confections - Pies, Cakes, Bakery Sweets

🥗 Dietary Information

✅ Vegetarian
✅ Easily customizable (can be made with dairy-free cheese)
❌ Contains Gluten (unless using GF puff pastry)
❌ Contains Dairy (unless swapped)

🍽 Notes from the Kitchen

This tart is part rustic comfort, part fairy market delight. Mandolin-sliced apples melt into puff pastry, and the fennel brings a slight herbal note that makes the dish feel both wild and intentional. It’s a dish that smells like fall and tastes like something you’d pack into a basket for wandering into the woods.

🌿 Ingredients

• 🌿 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed to room temp) – A vessel for wishes and layered transformation
• 🌿 2 apples, halved and mandolin-sliced – For knowledge, sweetness, and seasonal grounding
• 🌿 1 tbsp sugar – To sweeten intentions and warm the soul
• 🌿 1 tsp cinnamon – For love, protection, and homey comfort
• 🌿 1 tbsp fennel seed or powder – For clarity, strength, and inner healing
• 🌿 2–3 tbsp honey goat’s milk cheese (or dairy-free soft cheese) – Brings charm, softness, and a floral balance
• 🌿 1–2 tbsp butter (or plant-based) – For golden glow and richness

🔪 Instructions

Prep the Pastry

• Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and let it rest at room temperature until pliable.

Slice & Toss the Apples

• Halve the apples, then slice them into thin, mandolin-style half-moons.
• In a bowl, toss the apple slices with sugar, cinnamon, and fennel until well coated—like you would for pie filling.

Roll & Score the Pastry

• Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into 6 rectangles.
• Score a smaller rectangle within each one, about ½ inch from the edge (this helps the edges puff up around the filling).

Assemble the Tartlets

• In the center of each scored rectangle, spread a thin layer of honey goat’s milk cheese.
• Sprinkle a bit more fennel over the cheese for added flavor.
• Lay the apple slices in an overlapping line, like a soft accordion fold or mini ratatouille.

Finish & Bake

• Brush the outer edges and tops with melted butter.
• Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10–12 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and puffed.

✨ Best Enjoyed…

• When the breeze smells like spice and fallen leaves
• Shared with someone you’d invite to forage beside you
• With warm cider or mulled tea, feet tucked under a quilt
• On a kitchen windowsill, cooling beside a vase of wildflowers