Mini Apple Tarts with Salted Caramel Drizzle

Step 1

Add the flour, butter and salt to a stand mixer and mix on 2 until the dough is pea-like.

Step 2

Slowly add the water while mixing until a dough begins to form.

Step 3

Remove the dough from the nmixer and place on a floured surface. Form the dough into two discs then wrap with plastiucwrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Peel, slice and cube the apples into bite sized pieces then place then into a large mixing bowl.

Step 5

Add the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and flour to the apples and mix well.

Step 6

Put the prepared apples into a medium sized pot and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat. The apples should become saucy and warm.

Step 7

Working one disc at a time, remove the dough from the fridge and place on a well floured surface.Roll out the dough to 1/8" thick and cut into rounds with 4-inch round pastry cutter then fit the rounds into a well greased muffin tray.

Step 8

Place the tray in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes or so.

Step 9

Remove the muffin tray from the fridge and begin filling the tarts with the apple mixture. Divide the mixture between the 12 tarts. The tarts will look over filled, but the will cook down. Make sure to divide any remaining sauce from the apple pot amongst the tarts as well.

Step 10

Bake in a 425℉ oven for 20-25 minutes. The tarts are cooked with the pastry begins to take on a light golden colour.

Step 11

Heat the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the sugar constantly with a rubber spatula until the sugar melts into an amber liquid. The sugar will change from solid to a clear liquid to an amber coloured liquid.

Step 12

When the sugar is melted and amber colouerd, begin stirring in the butter bit by bit. Be mindful that it may bubble up. If the sauce begins to break stir vigorously until it combines.

Step 13

When butter has melted into the sauce and it has combined let it cook without stirring for a couple of minutes.

Step 14

Very slowly stir in the heavy cream. The mixture will rapidly bubble and steam when the cream is added becasue of the difference in temperatures. When all the cream has been added and stirred though, stop stirring and let the sauce cook for a minute.

Step 15

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the salt. Allow it to slightly cool down before using. As the salted caramel cools it will thicken. If it gets too thick to drizzle, heat it up a minute or two to soften it.

Step 16

Remove the muffin tray from the oven when the crust has turned golden. Let the tarts cool in the muffin tray a few minutes before handling them to let them set and ensure that the bottom is cooked.

Step 17

Carefully remove the cooled tarts from the muffin tray then drizzle with as mush salted caramel as you like.