TARTELETTES AUX POMMES

Over the years I have clipped many pages from the food section of the Sunday New York Times Magazine.  The September 25, 1988, magazine featured the article Time for Snacks by Patricia Wells and listed recipes for after-school treats from four pastry shops in Paris.  One recipe that I make often is Tartelettes aux Pommes (free-form individual apple tarts) from Poilane on the Rue du Cherche-Midi. 

The breads and pastries baked and sold there have a charming rustic quality due to the brick wood-burning ovens. 

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Lionel Poilane's breads have a world-wide reputation and are served in some 400 Parisian restaurants.

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Poilane's butter cookies, known as Punitions, can be found in Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Paris Sweets.

The recipe for Tartelette aux Pommes makes four, but I have quadrupled it for parties.  It's quite impressive to have a large basket full of 16 individual apple tarts.  One caveat, if you saute more than 4 apples at a time you will need to cut back on the amount of butter used or you will be steaming the apples instead of caramelizing.  (I recommend doing only four at a time).

                                          TARTELETTES AUX POMMES
                                          (as adapted from Patricia Wells)

1 recipe flaky sweet pastry dough (see below)
4 Golden Delicious or Gala apples
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Divide the dough into four equal portions.  Roll each portion into a six-inch circle.  Place the circles of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to bake.
3.  Peel and core the apples, then cut each into 12 pieces.  Heat the butter until hot (but not smoking), in a large frying pan.  Add the apples and granulated sugar.  Saute' until lightly browned and starting to caramelize.
4.  Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and spoon the apples into the center of the pastry rounds, dividing them evenly.  It helps if the apples have cooled somewhat before being placed on the pastry rounds.  Fold the edges of dough up over the rim of the apples and pleat, forming about a one-inch border.  Brush the border with the egg.
5.  Bake in the center of the oven until golden, about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle the apples with the brown sugar. 

                                                     PATE BRISEE

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. ice water

1.  Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to combine.  Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the water and slowly pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together. Form a disc and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.