Here is one of the recipes we have collected while traveling through France; the almond paste, an ingredient often used in French baking, gives this delicious dessert a Continental flavor. Serve alone or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

1 roll almond paste
1 9-inch tart shell, unbaked & room-temperature
1 C fresh cranberries
5 med apples (preferably Macintosh), peeled & sliced to make approximately 5 C
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C uncooked oats
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C brown sugar
6 T unsalted butter, very cold or frozen
1/4 C sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Flatten almond paste onto a sheet of wax paper. With a rolling pin, roll almond paste to form an 8-inch circle. Press almond circle into bottom of unbaked tart shell. In a bowl, combine cranberries, apples, sugar and a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Pour on top of almond circle, into tart shell. In a bowl, combine the remaining cinnamon, oats, flour and brown sugar. Cut butter into very small pieces and blend into cinnamon an oats mixture until crumbs form. Spoon crumb mixture evenly over the top of apple mixture. Bake 50-60 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced almonds during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Serving Suggestion

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Cook time: 50-60 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.