Mini Apple Pie Tarts

I was craving apple pie, but I wanted to make individual sized portions that would be ideal for a party. I combined my crunchy buttery mini tart crust recipe with warm cinnamon and sugar baked apples, homemade whipped cream and caramel rum sauce for a crowd pleasing decadent dessert!

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Ingredients:

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup water

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ cup unsalted butter, cubed

For tart crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces

 

For caramel rum sauce:

½ cup sugar

1 ½ Tbs water

¼ cup heavy cream

A capful of Sailor Jerry Rum

For homemade whipped cream: (vanilla ice cream is a great substitute!)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1-2 Tbs powdered sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a large baking dish.

(1.) Arrange apple slices in a prepared baking dish. (2.) In a small bowl, combine sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and stir to combine. (3.) Pour over apples and then top with cubed butter. Place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes or until apples are tender. (4.) Set on top of the stove to cool slightly or if you’re still working on other parts of the recipe you can cover with foil to keep warm until you’re ready.

You can wait until the apples are out of the oven or you can put the tart crusts in during the last 10-15 minutes of their baking time.

(5.) Combine flour, powdered sugar, and butter in a large bowl. (6.) Using your hands, mix until dough forms a ball. (7.) Place a scoop (1-2 tablespoons) of dough in each muffin cup (8.) and press down with your thumbs to form a mini pie shell.

Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to squish down the center. Place back in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until edges just start to lightly brown. I left mine in an extra 3-5 minutes to make them a bit crunchier and flakier. Place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove mini crusts from muffin tin and place on cooling rack for an additional 5 minutes.

For caramel rum sauce, combine sugar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Do not stir!

Boil the syrup for 6-8 minutes or until a deep amber caramel forms.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add Sailor Jerry Rum and stir until combined. Pour the caramel sauce into a large mug or heatproof cup and let cool slightly.

For fresh homemade whipped cream, pour the cream into a bowl and then whisk like hell! Change directions every so often and give it a few moments to rest and thicken.

When the cream starts to thicken, add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar and whisk again. Whip until the cream has stiff peaks, but be careful not to over-do it or you’ll wind up with butter! Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When ready to put everything together, spoon apples into tart crusts, top with whipped cream or ice cream, and then drizzle on caramel rum sauce. Serve right away!

Enjoy!