Tasty Tuesday: Apple Pie Tartlets

I think these apple pie tartlets are pretty much perfect--all the goodness of apple pie in a cute, little two-bite form. 

The only problem? 

They're so dangerous! With a whole pie, you have to commit yourself to sitting down and eating a slice, but with these tarlets, you can just grab one as you walk by. I mean, it's just a teeny, tiny, bit of pie. No harm, right? Right. Until you've eaten six. 

They're dangerous, I tell ya.       

I prefer jonamac apples for these. The rich sweet-spicy taste makes the tartlets burst with flavor. And because jonamacs break down while baking, they produce more melting juices that, when combined with the flour, make a nice, gooey appley gel to hold it all together.

And what could be better than that?

These tarlets are a favorite in our house. They take a little bit more time than making a traditional streusel-topped pie, but they are totally worth it.

And remember, since they're small, you can eat more!

Enjoy!

Pie Crust 

Ingredients:

½ cup shortening 

1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup ice cold water

Directions:

1. Mix shortening, flour, and salt together in a food processor with a dough blade (or in a bowl with a fork or a pastry blender) until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together and mix until combined. Place the dough in the freezer for 5 minutes.
2. Roll dough gently on a floured pastry mat to about ¼ inch thickness and cut portions using a flower (or 2-inch round) cookie cutter. Gently press dough flowers into the wells of a mini cupcake/tarlet pan. Continue rolling the scraps of dough and cutting flowers until gone. If the dough gets warm and hard to use, place it back in the freezer for 5 minutes.    

   
Pie Filling
Ingredients:
2½ cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
¼ cup white sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and fill tartlets.

Streusel Topping
Ingredients:
¾ flour
⅓ white sugar
½ cinnamon
6 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon together. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the pie filling.
2. Bake tartlets at 350° F for 20 minutes, or until the edges of the flower petals are just beginning to brown. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tasty Tuesday: Apple Pie

I got an early Christmas present yesterday: a new oven! The first thing baked in it was an apple pie, per Leighton's request. 

Pie Crust (double recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water

Directions:

1. Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork.
2. Roll gently on a floured pastry cloth to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half, lift to pie plate, and unfold. Press into pan.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my food processor?

 

Patiently waiting to be filled.

Honestly, I'd rather buy pre-made crust because it's so much easier to work with, but Leighton prefers homemade. I was pleasantly surprised though with this recipe. I had no trouble at all.

 

 Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3  tbp. water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tbp. vanilla
8 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Gently pour the sauce over the apples. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Cover with crust.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F.  Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

This was my first time making a double crust pie. Odd, since the crust is my favorite part. As I said, I don't like making it though. I usually top my pies with a crumble so I only go through the hassle once. It's a love/hate relationship.

I blame the crust for the lack of apples in the pie. I know that there should be a heaping mound of apples, but  I must have been anxious about still having to make the top crust. Or maybe I should blame the kids since they put in the slices. Hmm . . .

Brushing some of the sauce on top.

Ready for the oven.

Well, I survived the double crust. And I know it'll only get easier with practice. I wonder if my family would be willing to let me try.

 

Ready to be eaten.