ByDavid
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Packed with flavorful apples and topped with delicious caramel, these Caramel Apple Tartlets are a great baking project for Autumn!
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Let’s talk Halloween decoration for a hot minute. Now I absolutely love Halloween. For me, October 1 is the kickoff to the best 3 months of the year. I also like to decorate for the holidays – so Halloween is the perfect opportunity to embrace all things spooky, weird and a little bit creepy. Now I’m not gonna be one of those houses with a gazillion Christmas lights tied to music. That’s a bit much…even for me. But a fog machine for Halloween? I’ve thought about it. And a projector to cast spooky scenes? Thought about that one, too. Did it!
Last year, I posted this delicious recipe for homemade Devil’s Food Cake, and in that post I mentioned that I had procured a video projector to create some spooky scenes in our front yard. That actually happened! The original plan was to hang a sheer sheet in the front yard and then have the projector cast images onto that. I’ve seen videos online, and they look awesome! The problem is that rain and electronics don’t like each other. So I did the next best thing…I hung that sheer curtain in the front window of the house. There’s nothing like looking up and seeing a ghost floating by the front window, right?
Caramel Apple Tartlets
Caramel Apple TartletsAside from decorating for Halloween, my next favorite fall activity is baking.Oh, who am I kidding? Baking is one of my favorite year-round activities! I love apples. I love caramel. But the combination of the two is definitely greater than sum of the individual parts. This past weekend, I hit the kitchen with the vague idea of a caramel apple pie in mind. However, I pulled an audible, and changed the pie to “mini” tartlets instead. (I say mini because I used an oversized muffin tin here. Laura and I ended up splitting these tartlets in half for dessert.)
To make these Caramel Apple Tartlets, I cooked the apple filling like normal, and then put a scoop of that filling on top of a 6″ round circle of pie dough. I used an oversized muffin tin (affiliate link) to help the tart shells hold their shape, and then I poured some caramel sauce on top. Easy peasy. And let me tell ya, these apple tarts disappeared quite easily, too!
If you’re looking for one heck of an awesome Autumn baking project, then I highly recommend these Caramel Apple Tartlets! If you’re looking for one heck of an awesome Halloween decorating project, then I highly recommend checking out the AtmosFX website. There are some really cool ideas out there on their blog. Maybe when we don’t have a 4-year-old and 2 puppies, I’ll tackle something like that. For now, I’m quite content to sticking with a batch of these mini apple pie tarts!
Reheating Leftovers
These Caramel Apple Tartlets reheat well, too! Just store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, place the tartlets in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes, or until filling is warmed through and pie crust is slightly crispy. Top with vanilla ice cream before serving.
Did you bake a batch of these Caramel Apple Tartlets at home? Leave a comment! Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Happy baking!
Caramel Apple Tartlets
Packed with flavorful apples and topped with delicious caramel, these Caramel Apple Tartlets are a great baking project for Autumn!
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 large tartlets
Calories: 689kcal
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp water or vodka
For the Apples
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 pounds apples peeled, cored and sliced (~5-6 large apples)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
For the Caramel
- 1 14-oz. package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
- 1 5-oz. can evaporated milk
Instructions
For the Dough
Using a food processor, add the flour, butter, brown sugar and salt. Pulse several times until a crumbly mixture forms.
Add 2-3 Tbsp of water (or vodka); pulse until dough comes together in a ball.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour. (Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight.)
For the Filling
Using a large, deep skillet, add butter and place over medium-high heat.
Once butter has melted, add apples, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt; stir until well combined. Let cook for 5-7 minutes, or until apples have begun to soften.
Add flour and cornstarch; stir until well combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 more minutes.
Transfer apples into a medium bowl. Add lemon juice; stir until well combined. Let mixture cool completely (~30 minutes).
For the Caramel
Using a medium saucepan, add caramels and evaporated milk. Place over low heat and cook, stirring often, until mixture is smooth.
For the Tartlets
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Working on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 6” circle.
Place ~½ cup of apple filling into center of each circle, but leave ~1½” of dough on all edges. Fold edges of dough towards the center.
Place each tartlet into a jumbo muffin tin.
Pour caramel into the center of each tartlet.
Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until edges of tartlets are golden brown.
Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
{Optional} Serve pies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on side.
Notes
These tartlets can be made in a regular 12-cup muffin tin. However, the dough should be divided into 12 pieces and then each piece should be rolled into a 4” circle. The filling in each tartlet should be reduced to ~¼ cup as well.
Looking for more tasty Autumn treats? Check out these other favorites, too:
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Cinnamon Roll Twist
Pecan Pie Bars
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