Sunday 16 March 2014

Mini Apple Tarts

Hey foodies this time I did a little experiment to entertain my new friends in Pune: Mini Apple tarts.

Ingredients

pastry:
50g salted butter
250g all purpose flour
11/2 cup Ice cold water

filling:
3 medium sized apples
200g sugar
1tbsp vegetable oil
2" cinnamon stick
1 lemon

First I needed to make a basic pastry crust. So in a bowl mixed the flour and cold butter and mixed it with hands till it had a crumbly texture. Now added ice cold water slowly and add till u can just mix the dough. Wrap with cling film and refrigerate for 10 mins.

Now take out n roll the dough 1/2 cm thick. Cut into rounds with a round steel cutter. Grease a muffin tin and press the dough in the mould firmly. Prick the base of the tart with a fork.


Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 5 mins. Place butter paper within each tart and fill with uncooked kidney beans and blind bake in convection oven for 20 mins at 180 deg C. Remove the beans and butter paper and bake for further 20 mins so that the inner portion crisps and dries out.

Prepare the filling by removing the core and chopping up 3 medium sized apples. Heat a saucepan, add 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot add 2 inch cinnamon stick when it sputters a bit add the chopped apples. Saute for few minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Now add the sugar and keep stirring till it becomes soft and reddish in colour. Now add juice of 1 large lemon and stir for some more time. When it starts to thicken remove from heat.

Pour the filling in the tart shells.

Take some more pastry dough and roll out thin. Cut into 1/2cm strips. Cover the filled tarts withe dough strips in criss cross pattern.

Brush with egg wash. Bake for another 20 mins. Remove from oven and keep on a wire rack to cool before serving.