These Apple Puff Pastry Tartlets are made with Brie, dried currants, and a drizzle of honey for a quick and easy dessert!
About a year ago, I tried to make apple puff pastry tartlets (or little apple tarts) for a dinner party.
Things did not go well.
I made a thoughtless mistake, and grabbed wax paper instead of parchment paper to line my baking sheet. And if you've ever done that, you'll know that my tartlets melted to the (non-oven-safe) wax paper.
They were unsalvageable.
I panicked for a moment, and then tossed the entire batch of desserts. We ate chocolate lava cakes that night.
Confused about the difference between wax and parchment paper? Check out this Masterclass article.
But time has passed, and with parchment paper (which is definitely oven-safe) firmly in hand, I tried again.
These apple puff pastry tartlets are made with apples, Brie, and dried currants.
They're simple to make, delicious, and are perfect for parties.
What is Brie?
Brie is a mild cheese that melts easily and poofs up with the puff pastry. It's easy to find-- I buy it regularly at both Aldi and Walmart.
At Walmart it's normally with the gourmet cheeses near the deli.
You'll be looking for a round wheel of cheese, and it's usually packaged in cardboard.
When you open it, you'll see that it's covered in a white rind. The rind is edible-- you don't need to remove it for this recipe.
What are Dried Currants?
Dried currants, or Zante raisins, are a type of small raisin.
They aren't actually currants.
Look for them with the raisins in your regular grocery store.
Can I Use Raisins Instead of Dried Currants?
You sure can!
But I would roughly dice them first-- the dried currants are a lot smaller than regular raisins.
What Kind of Apple Should I Use for These Puff Pastry Tartlets?
I used Pink Lady apples, but these would also work well with Gala or Honeycrisp.
I think these apple puff pastry tartlets are best with crisp apples, so I'd avoid any apple that has a somewhat mealy texture (like Red Delicious).
Since there isn't much sugar in these tarts, I'd probably avoid extra tart apples (like Granny Smith).
How to Make Apple Puff Pastry Tartlets
Start by cutting puff pastry into 9 rectangles.
Top each tart with a layer of Brie, and then top the Brie with dried currants.
Add thinly sliced apples on top of the currants.
Finally, add a knob of butter on top of the apples.
Butter makes everything taste better.
Slide the pastries into the oven, and bake until golden.
Drizzle the center of each pastry with a little honey, and then set them aside to cool.
Enjoy your pastry with a cup of hot or a latte, and enjoy!
Want more PUFF PASTRY recipes? Try these:
Want more DINNER PARTY DESSERT recipes? Try these:
Apple Puff Pastry Tartlets
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1-2 apples, cored + very thinly sliced amount depends on size of apples and how thinly they're sliced
- 4 ounces Brie (about half of one standard size wheel), thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons dried currants (Zante raisins)
- 1 tablespoon cold butter, diced into small pieces
- 1 egg, beaten (optional)
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
- powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Lay puff pastry on parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Cut into 9 equal-sized pieces.Tip: This recipe was written for refrigerated puff pastry. If using frozen puff pastry, thaw before using, rolled out to ¼" thickness.
- Move the parchment paper and pastry dough onto a baking sheet, leaving a space between each piece of pastry. You may need to use two baking sheets.
- Use a butter knife to draw a shallow border (about ½" wide) along the edge of each piece of dough. Make sure not to cut all the way through the pastry!
- Add a single layer of Brie on each pastry, leaving the border empty.
- Sprinkle the currants over the Brie, dividing them evenly over each pastry.
- Add about 4 slices of apple to each pastry, fanning them decoratively across the cheese and dried currants.
- Dot the tops of the pastries with the diced butter.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the beaten egg along the pastry borders. Tip: Take care not to let egg drip onto the sides of the tartlets, because it will seal the puff pastry and prevent it from rising.
- Bake about 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
- Drizzle the honey over the center of the tarts.
- Move the tarts to a wire cooling rack, and cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm. Dust with powdered sugar if desired (optional).
- Leftovers: This tart is best eaten right away, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge 1-2 days. To help the pastry crisp up again, pop it back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
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