Towering Caramel Apple Tarts

Towering Caramel Apple Tarts

Yields 8 Servings 

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 to 8 Honey Crisp, Granny Smith or other tart, firm apples
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Unroll or unfold the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out, pressing lightly, until very thin, less than ...-inch thick. (If the pastry seems to be getting too soft and delicate, transfer to a sheet pan and chill 30 minutes, then return to the work surface.
2. Use a biscuit cutter or a down turned glass to cut out eight 3 1/2-inch disks from the pastry. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange the pastry disks on the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while preparing the apples.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel, core, and halve the apples. Slice the apple halves very thinly (if you have a mandoline, use it).
4. Toss the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut the butter into 16 reasonably equal chunks. Place a chunk of butter in the center of a pastry disk and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Stack the apple slices in an overlapping spiral pattern around the butter, starting with the larger slices and working your way up with smaller ones. About every inch, sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
5. Each finished tart should be about 3 inches high and be shaped like a beehive or igloo. Place another chunk of butter on the top. Repeat with remaining apples and pastry disks and sprinkle all the tarts liberally one more time with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake the tarts until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Source: ivillage