Ready for the NaBloPoMo Challenge and Kicking it Off with Salted Caramel Apple-Almond Custard Tart

National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo), inspired by National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), is a commitment by participating bloggers to publish one post on their personal website or blog every day for the month of November (read more about it here). I chose to participate in the challenge sponsored by my advertising network, BlogHer, along with over 500 BlogHer bloggers. Yes, there are prizes involved, but I was more motivated by the challenge to cook, write and photograph much more than I have for the past year. My life is still somewhat up in the air, but it's beginning to move in many different directions. I'm hoping this challenge will also help me focus on the right path to take.

I do not intend on cooking and blogging about food every day. I have quite a few activities planned this month, so I'll be sharing stories and photos about those and, of course, Trapper will make appearances in several posts. 

I thought I should start with a French Fridays with Dorie recipe I missed a few Fridays ago, rather than the Hurry-Up-And-Wait Roast Chicken scheduled for today. I am SO very behind on French Fridays with Dorie! This Caramel-Almond Custard Tart sounded like a winner the week it was scheduled, but I just didn't need an entire tart hanging around the house. 

I had a good reason to make this tart yesterday because I wanted to bring something to our annual Halloween get together during treat or treating hours. Coronado is a very sought-after trick or treating community. All of the stores along Orange Avenue pass out candy to the kids in the late afternoon and then the island is swarming with kids until about 9:00 p.m. Alec & Nina hosted with a big pot of chili and homemade bread. Jim and Carmen brought over a bountiful charcuterie platter. I figured the tart would be a complementary contribution for an adult dessert. Alec shared a scrumptious bottle of Sika Cabernet Franc later in the evening.

For the tart, you begin by preparing a tender, buttery sweet tart dough, easily pulsed together in the food processor and pressed directly into a tart pan. The crust is partially baked, cooled, sprinkled with a layer of sliced, toasted almonds and filled with creamy, salted caramel custard. It's then baked, cooled to room temperature, sliced, and served with whipped cream or crème fraîche. I changed it up a bit by adding sliced apples, which I sauteed for about 5 minutes in a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. I also used crushed marcona almonds I had on hand.

I think this tart would be a little boring without the apples, but maybe because I'm not a huge fan of nuts in desserts. It would have been even better with whipped cream or crème fraîche, as suggested. I had a little bite last night, but really enjoyed a leftover slice with my coffee this morning.

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French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!