Apple Pie Tartlets/ Mini Apple Pies

This post has been lying in my drafts for two weeks now. With all the pictures placed, but no words.

I don’t know but whenever I begin to write this post I experience what you call a writer’s block (although in no way I consider myself a writer- a blogger block would be a better term. Blogger block- bet you cant say that ten times quickly! I digress.)

So instead of posting the recipe, each time I decided to leave it for later. Instead the nutella mug post got published. Surprisingly there was no block for that. I tried again to write this post and instead the follow-up to the most dangerous cake got published.

Not that this recipe isn’t great. Oh it’s plenty great but I just don’t know how to introduce it.

I generally have some story of mine to add to my posts or some memory that recipe brings up. But I have not grown up on apple pies. I am Indian. Nor has anything exciting happened to me over the past few weeks. In other words, nothing exciting worth telling. Hence the blogger block.

We did go to Phoenix this weekend. And I freaked out on shopping. That was exciting.

V and I also tried this place our friends recommended- the Cornish Pasty Company. Its a great place although a bit tiny and I can see it getting claustrophobic on busy nights, but we were the first to enter on Sunday noon and were lucky enough to find a table and leave before the crowd started rolling in.

If you are in Tempe or crossing by, I recommend stopping by. Besides the usual meat pasties, they have a huge vegetarian selection as well and the pasties are how they should be- crusty, golden brown and delicious inside and outside.

Yum.

I wish I had got to-go……. Sigh.

I did learn one thing on this trip.

I suck at ordering.

I think I become too adventurous and even though I don’t end up with a bad tasting thing, V’s order always looks and actually is more tasty than mine. And then I leer at his order, kicking myself for not ordering what he did first.

It happened at the Cornish Pasty Company, also with our Whole Foods’ sandwiches and at the Cheesecake Factory (sidenote: yes, I have been eating out every day during the weekend, but that’s what happens when you stay in a “village” and city trips like these are rare!)

Besides that nothing exciting happened over the last few weeks. Unless you count cleaning, organising the shelves, cooking, cleaning again- exciting.

A week back, I did have a fun night out with my girlfriends with the most horrible next day, regretting every drink that went down my throat.

I did also receive my $250 Daring Bakers’ prize from Chocoley! Yay! I am so excited to make Valentine’s day chocolates for my friends! 🙂

Hmm…

Now that I come to think of it, things have been pretty exciting.

And what would you know I got something to write about too!

Coming to today’s recipe.

There is something about tartlets that I love.

Probably the fact that they are two-three bite sized treats, makes me feel less guilty indulging in them.

Or that they generally come together so quickly. And still look pretty enough to admire.

The buttery crust, with a scrumptious filling is all that you need to lift up your spirits.

So, for Office Thursdays, last week I decided to make apple pie tartlets inspired from here.

The whole idea of Office Thursday came about when, me, “the baker” was conflicted with me, “the-always-trying-to-lose-weight-self”.

V is not a “sweets” person. (Well, he wasn’t a “sweets” person. Thanks to me, he has developed a sweet tooth of sorts.) Also we are the only two people in the house. As a result, whenever I would want to bake earlier, I couldn’t because I, being the “sweets” person would end up eating all the baked goods. That’s when V and I came up with a sort of arrangement. I would bake goodies, and send them to V’s office, keeping 2-3 pieces for our own sugar cravings. This way, I got to experiment and bake, and also keep away the calories that come along with it.

So, technically V’s office people are my guinea pigs. And, from what V tells me, till now they don’t mind!

Luckily enough, I kept three of these for photographing purposes. But after photographing them, and taking a bite into them, I was so grateful that I sent the rest away. These are addictive-ly good. And the small size really doesn’t help. One just doesn’t seem enough. You keep wanting more!

APPLE PIE TARTLETS

Makes 12 DELICIOUS mini pies

Adapted from here

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened ( I used ghee/clarified butter)
• 2 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt
• juice of half a lemon (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 1/4 cup All purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped ( I used pecan chips)
• 1/2 portion sweet tart dough ( I added a pinch of cinnamon powder in the dough)
• whipped cream, to serve
• caramel flavored syrup, for topping

Directions

1. Lightly grease 12 cavity tartlet pan (or muffin pan)
2. Make the sweet tart dough following directions here. DO not bake the tart shell. Only follow the recipe till Step 10. The link provides a recipe that yields 24 small tart shells. You could half the recipe or use as is and bake 12 tart shells for immediate use, freezing the remaining tart dough for upto 2 weeks.
3. Heat oven to 400 F.
4. In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter, over medium high heat. Add the diced apples, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft. Sprinkle 2 tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cook 5 minutes longer or until tender.
5. Stir in lemon juice.
6. Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix butter, flour, 1/4 of brown sugar and pecans, until crumbly. Set aside.
7. Divide apple filling evenly onto the sweet tart dough placed in the pan. Divide flour mixture evenly over the apple filling.
8. Bake 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and tops are lightly brown. Cool slightly before removing.
9. Serve the tartlets topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup.