If you’re ever in need of a quick and tasty dessert to make for company, look no further. These beautiful apple tartlets are delicious and with just a few ingredients you’ll be surprised at how easy they are to put together in just an hour or so.
The tartlets hold up very well when made a few hours in advance, retaining their light and crispy texture.
I’ve been buying Cosmic Crisp apples from Whole Foods. They are superb apples that stand out with their striking red color. They are sweet, juicy and crisp. These apples are tops for snacking on and great for baking.
Frozen puff pastry is truly a remarkable time saver and is one of the prepared foods that is worth having on hand. It keeps well, thaws quickly, and is easy to work with. Puff pastry can be used in all sorts of recipes, sweet and savory.
For this recipe, only 1 sheet of puff pastry is required. It’s hard to imagine it will make 12 tartlets but once you roll it out, you’ll see that it works beautifully. Keep in mind the tartlets are on the dainty side, so if you want to serve 2 tartlets per person, consider doubling the recipe.
This egg white powder is a useful item to keep on hand. I use it as a replacement for an egg wash when I need just a small amount and don’t want to use an entire egg.
Pinching the corners helps to keep the apple juices and sugar from running off the pastry and burning on the pan. Puff pastry is very forgiving so there’s no need to be exact with the corners. Once baked, the tartlets turn out looking gorgeous.
Sprinkle confectioners sugar over the crust or drizzle caramel sauce over the apples just before serving. Caramel sauce makes these tartlets especially beautiful and extra delicious. Serve with or without a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Easy Apple Tartlets
12
servingsAdapted from Saveur
Ingredients
50g (1/4 cup lightly packed) light brown sugar
50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium Cosmic Crisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (48 slices total). Keep in mind the slices should be thin or they won’t fully cook in the short baking time. *Leftover apple slices make a great snack*
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 sheet frozen puff pastry such as Pepperidge Farm, thawed in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 20-30 minutes.
Egg white wash (see photo above) or 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Powdered sugar or your favorite caramel sauce for serving, optional
Directions
- Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the vanilla and apple slices, toss to coat well. Stir the apples and sugar mixture a couple of times while you prepare the puff pastry.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Unwrap the puff pastry. If it feels too brittle to unfold, set aside at room temperature for just a few more minutes until just pliable. The pastry should be very cold when you work with it. Lightly flour the surface of the puff pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll the sheet out to a 12×14-inch rectangle. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then using a bench scraper, long knife, or pizza wheel, cut into 12, 3-inch squares.
- Transfer the pastry squares (6 to a sheet pan) spacing equally apart. (I prefer to bake 1 sheet at a time and keep the second sheet of pastry squares in the refrigerator until ready to use). Arrange 4 apple slices in a shingled pattern evenly over the squares, reserving any apple juices that have collected in the bowl. Pinch pastry corners together. Brush the puff pastry edges with egg wash. Sprinkle a generous amount of granulated sugar over the apples. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Remove pan from the oven and brush the hot tartlets with some of the reserved apple liquid and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Continue with the second pan of pastry squares. Just before serving, dust pastry crusts with powdered sugar or drizzle caramel sauce over the apples. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Any leftover tartlets can be stored covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
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