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Mini Apple Custard Tarts, apple dessert recipes for fall
Brittany Stage

Mini Apple Custard Tarts

Individual pastry cups made in a muffin tin and filled with silky vanilla custard, topped with thin fanned apple slices. They look impressive but come together quickly with store-bought pie dough.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package refrigerated pie dough 14 oz, contains 2 rounds, such as Pillsbury
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 2 medium apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled and cored
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for brushing the tin
  • 1 tbsp apricot jam optional, for glazing the tops

Equipment

  • standard 12-cup muffin tin
  • 3-inch round cookie cutter or glass
  • small mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • sharp paring knife or mandoline

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat every cup of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with the melted butter, including the top rim of each cup.
  2. Unroll both pie dough rounds on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3-inch round cutter or the rim of a drinking glass, cut out 12 circles. Gently press one circle into each muffin cup, pushing the dough up the sides about halfway. Do not stretch it or it will shrink back during baking. Place the tin in the refrigerator while you make the custard.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and fully combined, about 1 minute. There should be no streaks of egg white visible.
  4. Slice each peeled, cored apple into very thin half-moons, about 1/8 inch thick. Thinner slices fan more easily and cook through in the short bake time.
  5. Remove the muffin tin from the refrigerator. Pour the custard mixture into each pastry cup, filling each one about two-thirds full. Leave room at the top so the custard does not overflow when the apple slices go in.
  6. Lay 2 to 3 thin apple slices on top of the custard in each cup, overlapping them slightly in a fan shape. Press them down just enough so they are resting in the custard, not floating on top. Sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar over each tart.
  7. Bake on the center rack for 22 to 25 minutes, until the custard is set (it should not jiggle in the center when you nudge the pan) and the pastry edges are golden brown. The apple slices will have softened and picked up a little color on the tips.
  8. Let the tarts cool in the tin for 15 minutes before running a thin spatula or butter knife around each edge to loosen them. Lift them out and set on a wire rack. If you want a shiny finish, warm the apricot jam with a teaspoon of water and brush it over the apple tops while the tarts are still slightly warm.
  9. Allow the tarts to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating. Placing warm tarts in the fridge causes condensation on the custard surface and makes it watery.

Notes

These are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. If you are making them for a gathering, bake them the morning of the event and keep them loosely covered at room temperature for up to 4 hours.