Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
There’s only two weeks left till the Gilmore Girls revival debuts on Netflix, and things are getting crazy on the internet. People are literally hypothesizing and analyzing every little detail they could find to get a hint as to what the girls will be up to these days. I mean, people have literally been going nuts over a picture with an apple in it. Personally, I don’t like spoilers, so I try not to read anything, but the trailer got pretty excited.
This week’s Friday Night Dinner recipe is apple tarts. The ones served by the Gilmores at their annual Christmas party – the one that takes place weeks before Christmas that Lorelai isn’t invited to. Apparently, they’re amazing.
Of course, there are so many ways to make them, so I decided to fancy up a super simple one with a maple bourbon glaze. I mean, the Gilmore’s done serve anything but fancy food – except for maybe Johnny Machete, but that’s for another time.
Ingredient notes:
- Apples – We used Cortland apples for this recipe, but granny smith or honey crisp both work well for baking. You can peel the apples if you want to, but I didn’t want to spend them time doing it. I think the color of the apple skins make the tarts extra pretty, but it’s totally ok to get rid of them.
- Puff pastry – Always check the label for hidden dairy.
- Apple jelly – You can find this in the grocery store by all the other jellies. Bonus points if you got yours from a local apple orchard.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make puff pastry apple tarts
Slice and arrange apples. I made these apple tarts with frozen puff pastry, because no one really wants to make puff pastry, and Cortland apples that we picked a few weeks ago with this recipe in mind.
After thinly slicing them, I layered them on the puff pastry and sprinkled then with brown sugar. Then, I melted some apple jelly, in a saucepan over medium heat, with a little bourbon and maple syrup to use as a glaze.
Bake the pastries. After brushing the glaze onto the apples, I baked the tarts for about 30 minutes.
Quick tip: Use a pizza cutter to slice the tarts into individual servings. I cut the first tart I made into 6 pieces, but the pieces of the second tart, I made a little bit smaller and got 8 pieces. It’s up to you.
Frequently asked questions
Any baking apple will work for this recipe. I used Cortlands – I think they hold up really well in baking – but you can also use Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Jonagold. I also really like Pink Lady apples for almost any application.
Yes. You can absolutely freeze this tart after cooking it. It’s a great option for leftovers or if you just want to make things ahead of time to preserve apples at the end of the season.
You can reheat your apple tart for about 5 minutes in a 400˚F oven or microwave pieces for 15 – 30 seconds, but I recommend the oven method over the microwave. Leftover apple tart is still really good cold, too.
This apple tart should last for 3 – 4 days after baking. I recommend storing the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
More fruity dessert recipes: cranberry orange cookies / easy strawberry tart / ginger peach galette / apple pie bars
Easy Apple Tarts
Ingredients
- 6 apples, cored and sliced very thinly
- 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 6 tablespoons sugar dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple jelly
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Line apple slices up in three rows on puff pastry sheets.
- Sprinkle each tart with 3 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt apple jelly and maple syrup. Whisk bourbon and cornstarch together until smooth and add to pan. Bring to a simmer and whisk until smooth. Using a pastry brush, spread over the apples.
- Bake each tart for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 – 10 minutes before slicing each puff pastry sheet into 9 pieces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love how it has zero calories, fat, and sugar. Yum! 😉
Delicious. I improvised a bit – a little more jelly in the maple syrup mixture and more cornstarch in the bourbon mixture as it didn’t thicken while heating. I also used a bit of the extra glaze to brush after baking. Everyone loved them at our Thanksgiving!