Cheese & Apple Tartlets
Submitted by sara_jean2744
Flaky butter pastry tartlets filled with chopped apples and topped with golden melted cheddar. A sweet-savory bite-sized treat that pairs fruit and cheese in every nibble.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsApple pie meets cheese board in these little tartlets. Buttery homemade pastry cradles chunks of tender apple dusted with sugar, then gets a blanket of sharp cheddar that melts into a golden, bubbly crust on top.
The sweet-savory combination isn’t new. Cheddar on apple pie is a tradition that runs deep, especially in New England and the Midwest. These tartlets just shrink it down to individual portions that are easier to serve and even easier to eat.
Serve them warm from the oven or at room temperature. Either way, they vanish fast.
Chef Tips
- Keep the butter ice cold and work quickly when making the pastry. Warm butter means tough, dense crust instead of flaky layers.
- Use a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith or Braeburn. Soft apples turn to mush during baking and won’t hold their shape in the tartlet.
- Chill the dough for the full 30 minutes before rolling. Rested dough is easier to handle and shrinks less during baking.
- Add the cheese only in the last 5 minutes. It needs just enough time to melt and brown without burning.
Ingredients
Directions
Pastry: Combine flour and salt in large bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually sprinkle with ice water, tossing with a fork until all is moistened. Gather dough into a ball. Divide dough in half. Form each ball into a square. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Assemble: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut each dough square in quarters. On lightly floured surface, roll out each pastry piece to a 5-inch circle. Press pastry rounds into 4-inch tartlet pans. Trim edge. Set pans on baking sheet. Spoon chopped apples evenly in pastry shells. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes until pastry is lightly browned and apple is tender. Remove from oven. Sprinkle each tartlet with 2 teaspoons cheese. Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Serve hot or cold.
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