Mini Apple Tarts

I have had this idea stirring around in my head for a while. Ever since making Butter Pecan Tarts, I have wanted to find a way to make mini apple tarts. So, I used the same pastry for the crust as the Butter Pecan Tarts and then mix and matched recipe to fill up the tarts. here is what I did:

Start the crust by mixing 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Then use 2 knives to cut in 1/4 cup of softened butter and 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening. The crust should begin to resemble coarse crumbs.

Beat 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar together in a glass measuring dish. Then, add ice water until there is 1/3 cup of the mixture.

Gradually add the egg yolk/vinegar/ ice water mixture to the mixing bowl and mix with a fork until the dough begins to hold together - you may need to use your hands to mix the dough. Once the dough forms a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, mix up the filling up peeling and slicing up 2 apples. Transfer the cut up apples to a medium mixing bowl and mix in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.

I chose to add a crumble to the top of my tarts so I mixed together 1/4 cup of softened butter, 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a small mixing bowl.

Set aside, the apple filling and the crumble and prep a small muffin tray by spraying it with cooking spray and lightly flouring it.

Then, roll out the refrigerated dough on a floured surface
 so it is 1/8 of an inch thick. Use a 3 inch circular cookie cutter to cut out the dough and press the circles into the muffin tray.

Fill the each muffin tray with apples until they are each about 3/4 of the way full then sprinkle crumble over the top of each little tart.

Bake the tarts at 375 degrees for 20-23 minutes until the crumble is lightly browned.

MINI APPLE TARTS
yield: 34 tarts
ingredients
for the pastry...
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup shortening, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vinegar
ice water

for the filling...
2 apples, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

for the crumble...
1/4 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

directions
1. Start by making the pastry shell by mixing the flour and the salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add in the butter and the shortening. Use two knives to cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. In a glass measuring dish, whisk the egg yolk and vinegar together. Add ice to the egg and vinegar until it reaches 1/3 cup. Gradually add the wet ingredients from the glass measuring dish to the medium mixing bowl, stirring the dough until it begins to hold together.
3. Press the pastry dough into a flat disk and cover it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
4. Peel and slice up the apples, then transfer them into a medium mixing bowl. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon into the apples and set the filling aside.
5. Make the crumble by combining the softened butter, sugar and flour in a small mixing bowl. Then, set the crumble aside as well.
6. Prep a small muffin tin with cooking spray and a little bit of flour.
7. Once the dough has been refrigerated for 1 hour, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. It should be rolled out to about 1/8 of a inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter that is 3 inches in diameter to cut the pastry shells out. Press the pastry shells into the muffin tin.
8. Fill each muffin tin with apples so that they are about 3/4 of the way full then top the apples with a bit of crumble.
9. Bake the tarts for 20-23 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit until the crumble is lightly browned.

Enjoy!