Description
Delight in these Mini Apple Tarts featuring flaky pie crust filled with a spiced, tender apple mixture. Perfectly portioned for serving, these tarts blend buttery crust with sweet-tart Pink Lady apples, enhanced by warm apple pie spices, making them an easy and elegant dessert reminiscent of classic apple pie but without the fuss.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough, chilled (or 1 store-bought pie crust, thawed if frozen)
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
Apple Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 3/4 cups peeled and finely diced firm, sweet-tart apples, such as Pink Lady (about 2 medium apples)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Lightly dust your work surface with all-purpose flour and roll out the chilled flaky pie dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut the dough into small rounds or desired shapes suitable for mini tart shells. Place them into a mini tart pan or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Make the Apple Filling: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar and apple pie spice until combined and fragrant. Add 1/4 cup of water, the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt, stirring to meld the flavors.
- Cook the Apples: Add the finely diced apples to the saucepan, stirring to coat them well in the butter and sugar mixture. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, then pour this slurry into the apple mixture. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender but still slightly firm and the liquid has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Fill the Tarts: Spoon the warm apple filling evenly into the prepared tart shells, distributing the apples and syrup mixture carefully to avoid overflow.
- Bake the Mini Tarts: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the tarts on the middle rack for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp, and the filling is bubbling gently. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- These mini tarts capture the classic apple pie flavor in a delightful, easy-to-make form without the fuss of a full pie.
- Use firm, sweet-tart apples like Pink Lady or Granny Smith for the best texture and balanced flavor.
- If using store-bought pie crust, thaw completely before rolling and handling for easier preparation.
- Apple Pie Spice can be made by combining cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in the desired ratio.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini tart
- Calories: 39
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 11.3 mg
- Fat: 1.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.7 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
