Betty Crocker’s top Hunger Games inspired recipes

Betty Crocker listed their top five Hunger Games themed recipes and this beauty came in second!  Check out Mellark’s Bakery Goat Cheese and Apple Tarts from our friend Crystal of Fictionalfood.net!

Back in October, I tried doing Goat Cheese and Apple Tarts from The Hunger Games that I really didn’t like all that much. They were “edible”, but they certainly weren’t something that I would think tasted good enough to sell, so I went back to the drawing board and did a ton more research. I trolled recipes online for different parts of a tart that I thought would taste good and eventually, after drawing from three separate recipes, I was able to come up with something that tastes way better than my last attempt. It tastes so awesome that I am finally confident enough to give a recipe for it.

Ingredients

  • Tart Crust:
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp water
  • Apple Filling:
  • 2 cups diced apples
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 5 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • Goat Cheese Filling:
  • 5 oz goat cheese
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 large egg
  • Egg Wash:
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp heavy cream

Instructions

  1. First, work on the pie crust. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening in until it’s nice and crumbly.
  2. Mix together the beaten egg, vinegar, and 4 tbsp water. Whisk together in a large bowl and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix with a fork, adding the last tbsp water. Do not knead the dough as you want the little pieces of shortening to be in the dough, which helps the flakiness.
  3. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tight in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge.
  4. Next, do the apple filling. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Put the water in a pot and add the dry ingredients, using your (very clean) hand to break up the cornstarch in the water.
  5. Add the apples and heat on high and boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken. Lower heat and simmer covered for 8-10 minutes. If it’s too thick, add more water.
  6. Next, make the goat cheese filling. Using a whisk, combine the goat cheese, sour cream, sugar, and honey until smooth.
  7. Add the egg and stir until the filling is a nice golden yellow. It should be smooth and creamy.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  9. Separate your dough into 10 equal sized balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough, wide enough to fit your tartlet pan (or muffin pan). Press dough into side and fold over into the middle to form a nice crust.
  10. Make an egg wash by beating 1 egg with 1 tsp heavy cream. Lightly brush onto the crusts, taking care not to leave any excess on the bottom.
  11. Fill about 1/3 to 1/2 with goat cheese filling. Bake for 15 minutes.
  12. Fill the center of the tarts with the apple filling, leaving some of the goat cheese visible on the sides. It should be firm enough to support the filling. Bake for 20 minutes.
  13. Slide the tarts gently from the pan and let them cool.
  14. Eat while still warm.

Notes

If you use a muffin pan, baking time may change. Start with 10 minutes and check the goat cheese filling’s firmness, adding 5 minutes at a time until done. For the second bake, check your crust color at 10 minutes, adding 5 or 10 minutes as needed.

You all must click HERE to see all the great Hunger Games recipes Betty Crocker selected for their Tribute Salute!