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: Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins

Leighton went hunting with my brother, uncle, and grandfather. A bunch of men for a weekend. My grandma sent spaghetti; my sister-in-law sent sausage-tortellini soup; and I sent these muffins. I don't think we trust them to cook for themselves.

I also don't think they mind.

 Mix the dry ingredients.

 Measure the wet ingredients.

 Combine the two.

 Add the blueberries.

 Fill the muffin liners.

 Make the streusel.

Pour on the topping.

Please, for all that is good in the world, be generous.

Bake and enjoy!


This recipe really could not be any simpler. We've made these muffins many, many times, and they're always delicious. Make them for your hunter. Don't have a hunter? Make them anyway. They're good!


Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour                       1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar                                   1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 teaspoon salt                                       1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder                       1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil                                  1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg                                                          1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.