Apple pie.

I don’t just like it, I LOVE it!

When my family lived in upstate New York, my dear friend and daily walking partner, Anne, made us a homemade apple crumb pie every year for my birthday. It was delicious! Talk about feeling loved.

I love you, Anne.

Yesterday I had a hankering for apple pie, but little time to make my all butter pie crust and only two large apples in the frig. I always try to keep a package of puff pastry sheets in my freezer for moments like this. I’m so glad I do that. I made an apple crumb tart.

Divine is what it was.

Puff pastry is fairly inexpensive, is found in the freezer section of your grocery store the pie crusts and tart shells and is delicious. Just remember that you have to thaw it out for 40 minutes. When you open the package (which usually contains two sheets in each) the sheets look pale in color, are folded in threes, and look nothing like they will once they are baked. They “puff up”, become a lovelygolden brown color and are well, divine!

See…

 

and of course a drizzle of caramel never hurts.

 

 

 

 

 

 


EASY APPLE CRUMB TART
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
25 mins

Apple pie. I don’t just like it, I LOVE it! This apple tart has all the flavors of an apple pie, but takes much less effort. And, well, a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce never hurts…
SERVES 12

Ingredients

  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 1 package puff pastry
  • 2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Caramel Sauce
  • 1 packed cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • Pinch of kosher salt
.

Instructions

1. Take your puff pastry out of the oven 40 minutes before you are ready to make this yummy tart.

2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray or butter two cookie sheets. Unroll each puff pastry sheet onto your pans.

3. In a bowl, place the apple slices, brown sugar, pinch of kosher salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and lemon juice. Toss and let sit for 5 minutes.

4. Place two layers of apple slices in the middle of your puff pastry leaving an inch or so of puff pastry around the edges. Fold over each of your four edges.

5. Make your crumb topping by placing brown sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment or in a large bowl using a pastry cutter. Place cubed butter and pulse or cut in your butter cubes until your crumb topping forms. Make sure the butter is very cold.

6. Sprinkle the topping over both tarts. You can certainly divide this recipe in half if you’d like to make only one tart, but I really don’t know why you would do that.

Caramel Sauce

7. In a large sauce pan (caramel bubbles violently) add brown sugar, heavy cream, butter and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir with a whisk and bring to a boil. Boil for about 4 mintues or until it thickens. be careful not to boil it too long because it will also thicken s it sits. Remove from heat, let cool.

After 15 to 20 minutes your apple crumb tarts will look like this! The edges should have a lovely golden color and the bottom should be cooked.

8. Drizzle caramel sauce over your tarts, get your forks ready and enjoy!

You’re welcome,

Mwah!  Elise