Apple Tartlets With Cinnamon Balsamic Syrup And Butter Toffee Ice Cream Recipes

APPLE PIE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crust; cut into twenty 2-1/2-in. circles. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Prick crusts with a fork. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over crusts. , Bake until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks., In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add apples; cook and stir over medium heat until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in sugar, caramel topping, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sauce is thickened and apples are tender, about 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Spoon into tart shells.

CINNAMON APPLE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Separate crescent dough into four rectangles; place on an ungreased baking sheet. Seal perforations. Sprinkle with 3 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar. , Bake at 375° for 5 minutes. Arrange apple slices over dough; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until golden brown. Serve warm.

APPLE TARTLETS WITH CINNAMON-BALSAMIC SYRUP AND BUTTER-TOFFEE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• ICE CREAM Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in sugar, then half and half and salt. Bring just to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and finger leaves path on back of spoon when drawn across, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, scotch, and vanilla. Strain into medium bowl. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours. Process cream mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Add toffee bits about three minutes before ice cream is done. Transfer to container; freeze. (Can be made one day ahead. Keep frozen.) SYRUP Bring all ingredients to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and boil until syrupy and reduced to generous 1/2 cup, about six minutes. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in microwave 10 seconds before serving.) TARTLETS Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and butter to blend in small bowl. Divide mixture among four 1-cup ramekins or custard cups, pressing to cover bottom evenly. Layer apple slices over sugar mixture, pressing slightly on apples to compact and almost filling cup. Open pastry sheet. Using biscuit cutter or small plate, cut out 4 rounds the same size as top diameter of ramekins. Using fork, pierce dough all over. Place 1 dough round atop apples in each ramekin. Bursh tops with beaten egg. Bake tartlets until pastry is puffed and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 4 minutes. (Can be made 4 hours ahead, let stand at room temperature.) To serve, invert warm or room temperature tartlets onto plates. Drizzle with syrup and serve with scoop of ice cream alongside.

APPLE TARTS WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Peel apples, reserving skins. Stir together water and 6 tablespoons sugar in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add pod. Add reserved apple skins and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Pour through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.
• Roll out 1 pastry sheet into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then cut in half and transfer to 1 of baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, transferring to second baking sheet.
• Halve apples lengthwise, then core with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon and cut crosswise into very thin slices (1/8 inch thick or less), keeping apple halves intact. Fan apple slices slightly, keeping apple shape, then arrange 3 halves in a row on each piece of pastry, leaving a 2/3-inch border on all sides.
• Brush border lightly with syrup and fold over about 1/3 inch to touch edges of apples. Crimp edges with a fork, then brush apples and edges of pastry with syrup (reserve remaining syrup). Brush apples completely with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tarts in upper and lower thirds of oven 20 minutes, then switch position of sheets and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake tarts until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. (If pastry edges aren't browning evenly, rotate tarts 180 degrees on sheets halfway through baking.)
• While tarts bake, boil remaining syrup over moderate heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Let tarts stand 5 minutes, then brush warm apples with remaining syrup.