Spiced apple two-bite tartlets
There's a nip in the air ....
Ho ! Ho! Ho!
How's your Christmas shopping so far ?
Don't forget to buy something for yourself , okay ?!
Got time in your hands and apples lurking in the fridge ?
This is my go-to recipe whenever I get tired of eating fresh apples . An apple a day ? Bah , humbug ! 😬 I usually make these tartlets several times a year but there's something about eating apples and pecans during colder months .
These tartlets are very easy to make , dough is pressed directly into the muffin pan instead of roll, cut and press version . It's better though to use individual tart tins instead of using the mini muffin pan , yeah , making these 24 tart shells took me a million years to finish . This is the first time that I used mini muffin pan in baking these tarts so I struggled a bit pressing in those dough . That said , this pecan dough is forgiving and even if you manhandled it , crust is still delightfully light and crisp .
I tweaked the filling a bit as my first spiced apple tartlets didn't have enough filling to go around . You can use all Granny Smith apples but a combination of sweet and sour apples is perfect for this recipe .
Leftovers can stored in an airtight container and chill in the fridge . Chilled tarts should be eaten straight from the fridge and shouldn't be left at room temperature or the crust will turn soggy .
Recipe adapted here
Crust : ( makes 332 grams cookie dough )
57 grams sugar
57 grams butter , softened
28 grams ( rice bran ) oil
17 grams milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
126 grams plain flour
45 grams pecans , toasted and finely chopped
* Lightly butter 2 12-cavity mini muffin pans , set aside .
* In a mixing bowl , combine the first 6 ingredients ( from sugar to salt ) , using a whisk , beat until mixture is light and fluffy . Add in the flour and pecans and mix until just combined .
* Divide dough evenly or weigh , @ 13-14 grams each , and press into the prepared pans . If your dough is bit loose / a bit wet to handle , chill in the fridge for 30 minutes .
* Freeze for 1 hour ( optional , this will prevent the dough from shrinking and puffing )
* Preheat oven to 180ºC . Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown . Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing each tart from the pan . Cool completely before using .
Filling :
2 Gala apple , peeled and diced
1 Granny Smith , peeled and diced
2 tsp lime juice
40 grams sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp allspice powder
4 grams finely minced ginger
15 grams butter
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
some Greek yogurt
some chopped pecans
* Combine diced apples and lime juice in a bowl , toss to coat , add in sugar and the next 4 ingredients ( through ginger ) , mix thoroughly .
* Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat ; add apple mixture . When mixture starts to simmer , cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes , stirring occasionally . Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl , add it to the apple mixture . Cook for about 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens . Transfer into a bowl and let cool completely before using .
To assemble the tartlets :
* Spoon a teaspoonful of spiced apples mixture into each tart shells , pipe or add in some yogurt on top . Add in pecan pieces ( optional ) . Serve immediately . Store leftover tarts in an airtight container and chill in the fridge .
Make ahead :
* Bake the crust / shells and make the filling a day ahead . Store pastry shells into an airtight container at room temperature and chill spiced apple mixture into the fridge , taking out 30 minutes before using during colder days or serve chilled during summer .
* Spoon a teaspoonful of spiced apples mixture into each tart shells , pipe or add in some yogurt on top . Add in pecan pieces ( optional ) . Serve immediately . Store leftover tarts in an airtight container and chill in the fridge .
Make ahead :
* Bake the crust / shells and make the filling a day ahead . Store pastry shells into an airtight container at room temperature and chill spiced apple mixture into the fridge , taking out 30 minutes before using during colder days or serve chilled during summer .
These mini tartlets are so adorable and tasty with spiced apple filling!
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