Puff Pastry Apple Tarts
Golden, flaky puff pastry wrapped around tender, cinnamon-spiced apples with a sticky caramel glaze that pools in every crevice. Fifteen minutes of hands-on work. Store-bought puff pastry. Dessert is served.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Skillet
- Pizza Cutter
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
- 2-3 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg (for wash)
Instructions
- Cook the apples: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the apples are just tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze.
- Cut the pastry: Unfold your thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut it into 6 rectangles (or circles if you like). Place them on the parchment-lined sheet.
- Fill and fold: Spoon the apple mixture evenly onto the center of each piece of pastry. Leave a border. If making open tarts, pile high; if you want little bundles, fold the corners over the filling.
- Chill them: Put the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes. This sets the butter in the pastry so it puffs up tall and flaky.
- Egg wash and bake: Brush the pastry edges with egg wash and sprinkle extra brown sugar on top. Bake for 18-22 minutes at 400°F, until deeply golden and caramel is bubbling.
- Cool and serve: Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
Pre-cook the apples up to 3 days ahead and store in the fridge. Assemble and freeze unbaked tarts for up to 3 months; bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes. Reheat baked tarts in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes to crisp the pastry. Do not use the microwave.