My good friend, Edie Knight, is having a birthday on Saturday and it’s a big one! This remarkable woman will celebrate 90 years, and anyone who knows her knows that those have been exciting, busy, and productive years.

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Barbie Butz

She and her husband, Del, who passed away several years ago, lived in many interesting places due to Del’s Air Force career. While they were in Washington, D.C. Edie worked at the Pentagon. She always has humorous stories to tell about those days.

When Del retired, they moved to Atascadero, where they became active in the local Republican Party, serving on the Central Committee for several years.

Edie was a founding member of Assistance League of San Luis Obispo County, a member of the Friends of the North County Women’s Shelter Fundraising Committee, a member of Atascadero Chapter VF of PEO Philanthropic Educational Organization), a member of the Coats for Kids Committee, and an active member of Atascadero Republican Women Federated. Among her many honors and recognitions was the 33rd Assembly Woman of the Year Award.

I am happy to give a huge “shoutout” to Edie Knight on her 90th birthday!!

Yesterday I baked three tarts using a new recipe, which I’ll share with you. It is absolutely delicious and easy to make. For the first two, I used Pillsbury ready-made pie crust and made my own crust for the third. If you are in a hurry, the ready-made is fine.

Caramel Apple Tart

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

¼ cup cold butter, cubed

6 ½ tsp. cold water

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:

1 ½ cups chopped peeled tart apples (Pippins work well)

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Topping:

1 tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, warmed

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt; cut in the butter until crumbly. Gradually add water and vanilla, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 10-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the filling ingredients; spoon over the crust to within 2-inches of edges. Fold up edges of crust over filling, leaving the center uncovered. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle overfilling. Whisk egg and water; brush over crust.

3. Bake until crust is golden and the filling is bubbly 25-30 minutes. Using parchment, slide tart onto a wire rack. Drizzle tart with the caramel topping. Serve warm.

Note: To one of the tarts, I added about a cup of fresh blueberries and some chopped walnuts, and on another one, I added about ¾ cup of raisins and some walnuts. All of the tarts were beautiful. Later on, I think I will add fresh cranberries to the apples. This is a recipe you can be creative with.

Enjoy!