Salted Caramel Apple Tartlets

These are easy peasy to make but pretty impressive to look at. Definitely an indulgent treat, but perfect for this time of year. If you aren't making your own caramel sauce you're missing out! Especially since it's so easy to make. In case you missed it, here's my recipe for homemade salted caramel sauce.

Salted Caramel Apple Tartlets

      serves 6

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water
• 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced pieces
• 1 honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced pieces
• 2 tbsp salted caramel sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp Truvia Baking Blend, or 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1-1.5 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into cubes

Open up the puff pastry sheets and cut along the perforated lines to get three sheets, then cut each one in half to give you six pieces. Make a border on the inside of the puff pastry, about a 1/4 inch in. To make the border I dragged my knife making sure I only cut about halfway into the puff pastry.  

This will puff up around the apples making a border while it bakes. I placed the puff pastry onto parchment paper on a baking sheet. Smear down a teaspoon of caramel sauce inside of the boarder on each tartlet, then place the baking pan into the freezer for about 10 minutes before you assemble the apples on top. This will help harden up the caramel which will keep it from running out as much, and it will help harden up that butter in the puff pastry will which give you a puffier flakier end result. This is an optional step if you're in a hurry. Just make sure the puff pastry is still cold before you pop it in the oven.

Slice your apples thinly. I did half peeled and half with the peel on, and I definitely preferred the ones that still had apple peel on them. The color from the apples is also lovely. Brush the border with the egg wash, be careful it doesn't drip down the sides because that can stop some of the pastry from puffing up. Arrange the thinly sliced apples alternating between types, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mix and dot the tops with butter. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 18-20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature! These are divine on their own, and even better with a little extra caramel drizzled on top!

Per tartlet: 232 calories, 24 grams net carbohydrates, 13.5 grams of fat, 3.33 grams protein.