Individual Apple Rum Raisin Tartlets Recipes

JANETTE'S LIGHTER APPLE RUM RAISIN PIE

Steps:

• To make the crust, sift the flour, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon into a medium-size mixing bowl. Add the oil, yogurt, and vinegar and stir gently just until combined. Press the dough into a ball and divide in 1/2. Flatten each piece into a disk, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To make the filling, put the raisins in a medium-size bowl and pierce them with a fork so they will soak up the rum flavoring. Add the water and rum extract and stir to combine. Let stand at least 1 hour. Drain and return raisins to the bowl. In a saucepan, combine apple juice, apples, lemon juice, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes. Add raisins and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Add the filling. Roll out the remaining dough, fit it over the top of the pie, pinching the edges together to seal. Trim and crimp the edges. Pierce the top of the pie in a few places with a fork to make steam vents.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F. then reduce the oven to 325 degrees F. and bake until apples are tender and crust is browned, about 45 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.

INDIVIDUAL APPLE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a floured surface, roll the pastry out a little thinner than 1/8-inch. Lay on a sheet pan and chill it, then cut out 4-inch disks. Cut decorative shapes from the scrap and bake them off to use later.
• Slice peeled, halved, and cored apples extremely thinly, preferably on a mandoline.
• In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together.
• Lay pastry disks on a parchment lined sheet pan and place 1 cube of butter in the center on each puff pastry disk and a spoonful of cinnamon sugar. Start layering and stacking the apple slices in a concentric circle leaving very little edge showing to make a beehive shape (save the smaller slices for the top layers). It should get smaller as you go up higher.
• When finished, the stack of apple layers should be about 3 inches high. Place a cube of butter at the top and sprinkle the apple stack liberally with cinnamon sugar. You can freeze them at this point. Bake until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

CHRISTINA'S APPLE RUM RAISIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• To make the crust: Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a medium-size mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Mixing with a fork, add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together. Press the dough into a ball and divide in 1/2. Flatten each piece into a disk, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To make the filling: Put the raisins in a medium-size bowl and pierce them with a fork so they will soak up the rum. Pour rum over raisins and let stand at least 1 hour. Strain, return raisins to the bowl and stir in pie filling. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Pour in the filling and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Roll out the remaining dough, fit it over the top of the pie, pinching the edges together to seal. Trim and crimp the edges. Pierce the top of the pie in a few places with a fork to make steam vents.
• Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce oven to 325 degrees F. and bake until crust is browned, about 45 minutes. Place on a rack to cool. If using icing, heat it in the microwave just until melted, then drizzle over the pie. Cut into wedges and serve.

PECAN, APPLE AND RAISIN TARTLETS WITH RUM CREAM

Steps:

• Combine apples, brown sugar, raisins, water and 1 tablespoon rum in heavy medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until apples are tender, stirring until occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool apple mixture completely.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry to 10-inch square. Cut out four 4 1/2-inch pastry rounds, using 1-pound coffee can or individual tart pan bottom as guide (reserve remaining pastry for another use). Press 1 tablespoon pecans in center of each round, leaving border. Transfer rounds to baking sheet. Spoon 1/4 of apple mixture onto each round, leaving 1/2-inch border.
• Bake tartlets until brown on bottom and puffed at edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Beat cream, powdered sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon rum in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Serve tartlets with rum cream.