Although Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie are the traditional Thanksgiving dessert, I prefer to “spice” things up…aka change things up every year. While a Super Spiced Pumpkin Pie worked last year for the family, and the Bourbon Pecan Brownies were a nice touch as well, I felt like cinnamon and apples this year. A Gluten-Free Spiced Apple Tart, using homemade Spiced Apple Butter seemed most appropriate to warm our hearts after turkey dinner.

What will be on your dessert table this year?

Gluten Free Spiced Apple Tart
(makes 3 small tarts or 1 large)

Crust:
8 Tbs. cold butter, cut into 1″ cubes
2 cups gluten-free baking flour
2 eggs
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tbs. ice cold water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and crumbly, all at once.
Dump onto parchment paper and roll into one large 12″ crust, or three smaller crusts.
Press into a parchment lined tart pan (easy bottom release) and bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Spiced Apple Butter*

Topping:
3 Fuji apples, very thinly sliced

Whip together the cream cheese and Spiced Apple Butter until super smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Chill for several hours.
Roll the very thinly sliced apples into apple rosettes and place over the top of the chilled filling.
Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

*Spiced Apple Butter

4-5 medium apples cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest, grated
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
pinch allspice
pinch cloves
pinch salt

Place all of the ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce to lowest setting and cook until apples are soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and with an immersion blender, purée until smooth.
Continue to cook, uncovered, on the lowest setting. At this stage, make sure you stir every couple of minutes to prevent the apple butter from forming a crust at the bottom of the pot.
Cook until thickened. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on the original water content of your apples. A good test is when the apple butter no longer runs off the spoon.
Portion into jars and refrigerate.