I am spending a weekend in the mountains of Madrid to be in touch with nature. And … On monday is my birthday! So I think I will celebrate a little snack party with puff pastry apple tartlets.
The landscape I am surrounded by invites me to make a dessert with puff pastry. However, instead of making a puff pastry apple pie, I would like to make these puff pastry tartlets filled with pastry cream. As I did with the pavlova, individual servings not only are fun to prepare but also you will offer each diner their own delicacy to savour.
I don’t think I’m going to stay in the kitchen all weekend making desserts, so this dessert is going to be quick and easy. The rest of the time I’m going to spend resting, reading, walking, enjoying the good weather and eating well.
How To Make Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets with Pastry Cream
The first step is to preheat the oven to 356°F ( 180°C ).
Circular Puff Pastry Base
Unlike the apple pie, the these tartlets base is circular. The way to give this shape is by using tartlet molds.
This time I used two types of glasses to cut the puff pastry dough. I used a glass with a larger diameter, a cider glass or a mug, to cut two circular layers. Then I used a glass with a smaller diameter (e.g. a champagne glass) to make a hole in the center of one of the layers, giving this layer a ring shape.
Therefore, the base of each tartlet is made of a smooth layer and a ring-shaped layer. With the two layers, one on top of the other, the base acquires a certain thickness, and the hole is where you will pour the pastry cream. Your mission is to make 4 tartlets with their respective puff pastry bases.
Now paint with a brush soaked in beaten egg the edge of the 4 smooth bases and place the respective ring on top of each one.
Pastry Cream
In a saucepan pour 250 ml of milk, a cinnamon stick and the lemon peel and put it over medium heat. Remove it just before it starts to boil. Set aside
In a separate bowl put two egg yolks and three tablespoons of sugar, and beat everything with a whisk. When everything is well integrated, add a spoonful of cornstarch and continue beating until well blended.
Now add the infused milk. Remember to remove the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick, and put the mixture over medium heat and stir. Once you notice the mixture is thick and creamy, it means that you have the custard. Set aside in a bowl.
Apple slices
Peel a golden apple with a knife or a vegetable peeler. You remove the core, cut it into quarters and then start making thin slices. With these thin slices you will cover the pastry cream.
Assembly
With the puff pastry bases already assembled, fill them with pastry cream and then put apple slices on top. Repeat this step with the 4 tartlets.
Brush the whole tartlet with slightly melted butter. And sprinkle sugar on top. Put the puff pastry tartlets in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
After you take them out of the oven, brush them with apricot jam. Et voilà! Puff pastry apple tartlets with pastry cream.
Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets with Pastry Cream
Ingredients
Puff Pastry Base
- 230 grams puff pastry dough
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 40 grams butter
- 2 table de mermelada de albaricoque
Pastry Cream
- 250 ml milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 lemon peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
Apple
- 1 yellow apple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356°F ( 180°C ).
Pastry Cream
- In a saucepan put the milk, the cinnamon and the lemon peel. It is important that the peel does not have too much white because it is bitter.
- Put it over medium heat and remove it before it starts to boil. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl put the egg yolks and sugar, and beat with a wire whisk.
- When everything is well blended, add the cornstarch and continue beating until combined.
- While beating with the wire whisk, gradually add the infused milk (without the cinnamon and lemon).
- Put the mixture in the saucepan over medium heat and stir all the time until it thickens.
- The pastry cream is ready. Set aside.
Puff Pastry Base
- Sprinkle a spoonful of sugar on the baking paper and then spread the puff pastry on top.
- The circular base of each tartlet is made of two layers of puff pastry dough. Use two types of glasses, one with larger diameter and other with smaller diameter. With the first glass you cut two circular layers. With the second glass you make a hole in one of the layers. You place the ring-shaped layer on top of the other so the base acquires certain thickness; and the hole is the place where you pour the pastry cream. Your mission is to make 4 tartlets with their respective puff pastry bases.
- Now paint with a brush soaked in beaten egg the edge of the 4 smooth bases and place the respective ring on top of each one.
Assembly
- Once the puff pastry bases are already assembled, fill them with pastry cream and then put apple slices on top. Repeat this step with the 4 tartlets
- Brush the whole tartlet with slightly melted butter. And sprinkle sugar on top.
- Put the puff pastry tartlets in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- After you take them out of the oven, brush them with apricot jam. Et voilà! Puff pastry apple tartlets with pastry cream.
0 Comments