Fruity isn't a bad thing

When it comes to the sweet and savory camps, I like to think I travel between the two. Sometimes, nothing beats some nice Italian chicken and pasta, or pita chips and hummus.

But then, sometimes, nothing beats good, dependable dessert. Especially the idea of a "not as bad for you as some desserts" dessert. Thus was born the lovely cranberry apple tart.

I used a delightful recipe online for the crust -- a vegan oat-nut crust to be exact -- with a few minor alterations, replacing a teeny bit of the vanilla with some orange extract and using only pecans since I had no almonds. But I'm sure it would be twice as good with twice the nut variety used!

I should also have made the crust thinner somehow, as it didn't get that crisp so much as it just warmed up, but it was still delicious nonetheless.

Here it is fresh out of the oven, ready for some fruits!

I so artfully, masterfully, plopped some sliced apples on top in a pattern that looks kind of like I knew what I was doing. Right? Either way, apples taste good on everything.

Everything.

Cuties!

I proceeded then to smear on a can of cranberry sauce mixed with about a tablespoon of flour to thicken it up as it bakes. It's really sad, I love cranberry sauce with a passion, but somehow there is always some left in the pantry after the holidays and no one will put it to good use. Good thing I am here to make things right in the world.

Finally, on went some chopped dried apricots. I love these things, especially when they are kind of gooey on the inside... iausdhfliaush. Just the sound of apricots, cranberries, and apples together is a melody of joy in my heart.

Too dramatic?

This tart of joy hung out in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350, until I was too hungry to do anything else but wait. And lo:

Beautiful! I love how the tips of the apricot pieces got a little brown, and the cranberry sauce glazed over on the top and became thick and more pie-like.

And the smell is just about perfect. If there were a thunderstorm and I were a governess for seven Austrian children, trying to calm them during the calamity outside, this would be one of my favorite things in my song.

My one lament is how the crust did not stay together when I tried to slice it up like a tart ought be sliced, but that was probably a problem because I made it too thick. Nevertheless, it made for a delightful sort of crumble and complemented everything quite well.

Top that little blob of sweetness with some canned whipped cream and presto -- you have a Apricranapple Tart with an Orange Pecan Crust, the perfect fall dessert... to eat in March. Deal with it. :)

10:46 P.M. UPDATE: Could it be? A fruity cobbler dessert pie thing that is even better straight out of the fridge than it would be warmed up? I don't believe it. I will continue in denial as I sneak bites out from time to time. Fruit is good for you. So are pecans. And sugar, too.