Recipe: Apple Tartlets

Apple Tartlets

I like apple pie, but happen to like a thin crispy crust with the juicy baked apples.  In the past I've made the apple tart on a baking sheet; however, that means for the next few nights I had to have apple tart for dessert.  Not so interesting...so, I went to my favorite home and housewares shop and bought 6 mini tart pans with removable bottoms.  (it makes it really easy to "pop" the tart out)  Here is my version for mini apple tartlets:

RECIPE:

Pastry Dough

1. 2 cups regular flour

2.  1 Tablespoon sugar

4.  1 1/2 sticks salted butter

5.  1/2 cup really cold water (keep in 'fridge or freezer)

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Apple Filling

A.  3-4 Granny Smith (large) apples  (tart apples are best)

B.  1/2 cup sugar

C.  1/2 stick of salted butter, cut into bits

D.  1/2 cup of apricot or peach preserve

E.  2 Tablespoons of Rum (Captain Morgan's Spice Rum is best!)

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In a food processor pulse the flour, sugar and salt to blend.

Add the 1 1/2 sticks of cold butter pieces/bits and pulse again to make tiny bits.

Add the ice cold water and pulse until a dough starts to form

Stop - remove dough from processor, shape into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

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After the hour, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

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Take out the dough and roll out to about 1/4" thickness.  Roll into the shape of a circle and cut it into 6 "pie" shaped pieces.

Press the dough into the tart pan bottom only.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a baking sheet. Set the tart pans on the baking sheet and refrigerate.

Next: peel the apples.  Stand the apple upright and cut in half.  Cut the core/seed out. Lay the half apple down and slice thinly across.

Bring the mini tart pans back out and begin arranging the apple slices in an overlapping circle. Get creative: start in the center and continue arranging the slices to fill the the tart.  OR start on the outer rim and then start layer inward.  Just make sure to fill the entire tart so no pastry dough is left visible. Some of my tartlets were done with slices cut into smaller pieces, some were the full half slice.  Whatever works best for you.

Sprinkle with all the sugar.  Then sprinkle the butter pieces/bits on top.

Bake about 30 minutes.  The tarts will bubble and spill over, but the parchment paper will help with the clean up.  When the apples start to get golden brown or tips are getting browned, watch it very carefully - they'll be done in a minute or so.

When done, remove from oven and set on a cooling rack.  While that is cooling, warm up the apricot or peach preserve with the rum; it'll get 'runny'.  Remove from heat and gently brush on the tart tops and let finish cooling down.

Makes 6 tartlets.  We are only two in the household, so we eat 2 and I freeze the other 4 for dessert on two other days.  Bake once and have dessert 3 times!