Easy Mini Caramel Apple Tarts with Puff Pastry
Looking for the easiest, last-minute dinner party dessert? These mini caramel apple tarts are the answer. With puff pastry, spiced apple filling, brown sugar, and salted caramel sauce, they're gorgeous, cozy, and come together in less than an hour!
Ingredients
- 520 grams puff pastry, preferably all-butter thawed (2 sheets)
- 680 grams small baking apples (1 1/2 pounds)
- 76 grams dark brown sugar (1/3 cup)
- 60 grams unsalted butter, melted (1/4 cup)
- 10 grams cornstarch (1 Tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 1 egg
- Salted caramel sauce, for drizzling (homemade or store-bought)
Equipment
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Puff Pastry Rectangles
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Gently roll both sheets of puff pastry just to seal the seams. Using a pizza cutter or sharp paring knife, cut each puff pastry square in half length-wise. Then, cut each strip of puff pastry into 3 equal rectangles width-wise so you have 12 puff pastry rectangles total. (Each rectangle will be about 4.5x3 inches).
- Use a paring knife to score a 1/4-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry rectangles. But don't cut all the way through! Then, use the tines of a fork to dock the puff pastry in the centers, avoiding the borders. Place the puff pastry rectangles on the prepared sheet pans about 2-inches apart. (They will puff up quite a bit.) Refrigerate the pastry while you make the filling.
Apple Filling & Baking
- Peel and core the apples. Then, cut the apples into thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick. Spoon the apples into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the dark brown sugar, melted butter, cornstarch, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Toss until the apples are well-coated and the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Next, whisk the egg with 1 Tablespoon (15 milliliters) of water until smooth. Use a pastry brush to brush the puff pastry rectangles with egg wash.
- Layer slices of apples down the center of each puff pastry rectangle in a shingled pattern. Don't be afraid to pack the apples in there until you're all out of slices. If you have any leftover brown sugar-spice mixture in the bottom of the bowl, spoon it over the apples.
- Bake the tartlets for 18-20 minutes, until the apples are tender and the pastry is a deep golden-brown. Let the tartlets cool for a few minutes and then drizzle them with caramel sauce. Serve with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
Make sure to keep the puff pastry nice and chilled. We need to keep the fat cold to create those flaky layers!
If you can't find small apples, don't stress. Just cut the slices in half and stagger them back-and-forth so they fit nicely on the pastries.
Fit as many apple slices on each dough square as possible. You want to make sure you get apple in each bite!
Don't be afraid to let the tarts bake for a good while. You want the puff pastry to be deep golden-brown (but not burnt).
The apples might release some of their juices in the oven. But don't worry! You can gently pull any baked juices off of the crusts. They should just pop off.
Serving: 1mini tart, Calories: 267kcal, Carbohydrates: 32.3g, Protein: 2.6g, Fat: 14.9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 150mg, Potassium: 72mg, Fiber: 1.3g, Sugar: 9.1g, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
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