Tartelettes aux Pommes

Fall is back, and that means it's apple season. We're getting to a point, in our kitchen, where our daughter's the one coming up with most of the exciting, delicious new ideas of things to make, like these individual apple tarts which she saw at a farmer's market and again in a bakery window, but couldn't try because they contained some of her allergens. It only took a few simple ingredients and a few minutes of research and some innovation to make these at home, though, and when they came out of the oven, fresh and hot just in time for our Sunday dinner desert, the whole house smelled like heaven and these instantly became our favorite new fall treat. They take only 15-20 minutes to prepare, and bake pretty quickly, too. And as someone without allergies, who has had the great pleasure of tasting tartes all over the world, I have to say, these fresh, homemade ones were the best I've ever enjoyed. Here's how my 8-year-old made them:

Ingredients: 

• 1 package of puff pastry, rolled out lightly on a floured surfaced
• 4 medium to large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Many varieties of apples are great for baking, just ask at your farmer's market depending on what's in season and available near you. When in doubt, go for a golden variety or one which is a hybrid mixed with gold, like the Jonah Gold we used here.
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of butter, (plus 1 1/2 tablespoon extra, melted for the crust)
• vanilla ice cream of whipped cream to serve with (optional)

To prepare:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Cook apples with 2 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until softened, stirring often.  Add cinnamon, vanilla and salt at end, mix well and set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, after rolling out the puff pastry dough lightly on a floured surface, cut it with a knife into 4 to 6 equally shaped rectangles (depending on how many you want to make, and how big or small you want the tartelettes.)
Gently roll out each rectangle individually to form a sort of circle or square. Don't make the dough too thin; just stretch it a little further to shape it.
Place individual dough squares on a lined baking sheet, and prick all over with a fork. (Kids of all ages love this job.)
Next, spoon equal parts of the apple mixtures into the middle of each shape, leaving about an inch or a bit more of a border around the edges.
Dipping your finger in a little water to help the dough stick, run this around the border, and gather up the edges as seen in the photos above to form the edges of the tarte crusts. These are rustic little tartes, so this does not need to look fancy, but you can shape the edges however you wish. (Another fun job for kids). The apples should be left uncovered.
Last, brush or dab a little melted butter around the edges of the tartelettes and sprinkle with just a touch more brown sugar for extra crunch and sweetness, if you wish.
Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and lightly crunchy. (Or a bit less, for mini tartelettes).
Let cool just 5 minutes or so and serve very warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you enjoy that sort of thing.
These can also be refrigerated and reheated quickly in a 275 degree oven for about 6-8 minutes a day or two later. 
Happy fall!