Apple Tartlets

Ingredients

• Hide ingredients for Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, or All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough 1 Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, or All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough (opens in new tab) Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, or All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • (1 teaspoon sugar, for sweet pies)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup chilled lard (155g) or vegetable shortening (145g), cut into small pieces
  • 3 tablespoons (45g) cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 6 tablespoons (90g) ice water mixed with 1 tablespoon distilled white or cider vinegar
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons ice water

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Whisk together in a medium bowl or pulse briefly in a food processor: 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour; (1 teaspoon sugar, for sweet pies); ½ teaspoon salt
  2. Have ready: ¾ cup chilled lard (155g) or vegetable shortening (145g), cut into small pieces; 3 tablespoons (45g) cold butter, cut into cubes
  3. If mixing the dough by hand, place half of the cubes on the flour mixture and using a pastry blender or fingertips, lightly work it in until it has the consistency of oats. Add the remaining pieces of fat and rub into the flour, flattening them between your fingers until they are roughly pea-sized or a little larger with some larger, flattened pieces. If using a food processor, add all the fat at once and pulse until most of it is in pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the dough with: 6 tablespoons (90g) ice water mixed with 1 tablespoon distilled white or cider vinegar
  4. Blend the water gently into the dough with a silicone spatula or pulse until it just holds together. If the dough is still dry and crumbly, add: 1 to 3 teaspoons ice water
  5. The dough should not be wet or sticky but should hold together when squeezed. Divide the dough in half, shape each into a disk, and roll out immediately as directed in Rolling Pie Dough, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Prepare as directed in Lining a Pie or Tart Pan with Dough. To fill and bake, see individual recipes. For a baked shell, see About Blind Baking Crusts.
• Hide ingredients for 4 cups thinly sliced, cored, peeled apples (see Apple Pie headnote, for apple variety suggestions) 1 4 cups thinly sliced, cored, peeled apples (see Apple Pie headnote, for apple variety suggestions) (opens in new tab) 4 cups thinly sliced, cored, peeled apples (see Apple Pie headnote, for apple variety suggestions)
  • 2 ½ pounds (1.13kg) tart apples (5 to 6 large)
  • ¾ cup (150g) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (25g) all-purpose flour or 2 tablespoons cornstarch (15g)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  • (1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • (⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 3 pounds tart apples (6 to 8 medium)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¾ cup (150g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • (1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Prepare: Basic Pie or Pastry Dough or All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough
  2. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the dough. Peel, core, and slice ¼ inch thick: 2 ½ pounds (1.13kg) tart apples (5 to 6 large)
  3. Whisk together in a large bowl: ¾ cup (150g) sugar; 3 tablespoons (25g) all-purpose flour or 2 tablespoons cornstarch (15g); ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon salt
  4. Stir in the apples along with: 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice
  5. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring several times, so that the apples soften slightly.
  6. Pour the filling into the bottom crust and gently level with the back of a spoon. Dot the top with: 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  7. Cover with a pricked or vented top crust, and freeze for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour to chill the crust. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 425°F.
  8. For a bronzed crust, brush the top of the pie with: (1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
  9. Sprinkle with: 2 teaspoons sugar; (⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  10. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the fruit feels just tender when a knife is poked through a steam vent and juices have begun to bubble through the vents, 30 to 45 minutes more. Let cool completely on a rack, 3 to 4 hours.
  11. The pie is best the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. If you wish to serve the pie warm, place it in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
  12. One 9-inch double-crust pie
  13. Precooking the filling eliminates any gap between it and the top crust when baked and produces a beautifully full, compact pie that slices like a dream.
  14. Prepare: Basic Pie or Pastry Dough or All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough
  15. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the dough. Peel, core, and slice a little thicker than ¼ inch: 3 pounds tart apples (6 to 8 medium)
  16. Melt in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until sizzling and fragrant: 3 tablespoons butter
  17. Add the apples and toss until glazed. Reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly, and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened on the outside but still slightly crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in: ¾ cup (150g) sugar; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon salt
  18. Increase the heat to high and cook the apples at a rapid boil until the juices become thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Immediately spread the apples in a thin layer on a baking sheet, and let them cool to room temperature.
  19. Spoon the apple mixture into the bottom crust. Cover with a vented top crust or a lattice, and freeze the pie for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour to chill the crust. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  20. For a bronzed crust, brush the top of the pie with: (1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
  21. Bake until the crust is richly browned and the filling has begun to bubble, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack, 3 to 4 hours.
  22. The pie is best if eaten promptly, but it can be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. If you wish to serve the pie warm, place it in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes.
  23. One 9-inch single-crust pie
  24. Prepare I or II, using: ½ recipe Basic Pie or Pastry Dough or All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough
  25. In place of an upper crust, top with a sprinkling of: Streusel
  26. Bake as directed. If the streusel starts to become too brown, loosely cover with foil until the apples are tender. Let cool completely on a rack.
• 1 cup (230g) heavy cream
• ½ cup (100g) sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice
• (½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
• (⅛ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg)