RECIPE: Apple tartlets (from Home Made in the Oven by Yvette van Boven)
Not too long ago I received a basket of old-fashioned Jonagolds. I knew they were cooking apples, but nevertheless I tried them out in the following recipe. Naturally I failed because, yes, Jonagold is a cooking apple, so they burst apart. Their flavor is of an unsurpassed tartness. I made the recipes again but this time combining Grannies (a bit more sour) with Elstars (a bit sweeter). Turned out great. I could’ve used winesap, but those are even sweeter. What’s most important is that the apples stay firm when baked, because in these tartlets the apple itself forms the crust instead of the filling. Funny, right?
Less suitable as baking apples are varieties such as Jonagold, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Gala, Delicious, or Junami. However, those are perfect for eating out of hand because they tend to be juicier.
Makes 4 tartlets
Butter for the bowl
4 large or 6 small apples: Elstar, Granny Smith, or Cox
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons (70 g) packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of sea salt
2 5-inch (12-cm) square sheets all-butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Splash of cider or apple juice (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Use a melon baller to remove the core from the apples and then enough of the pulp so you are left with a shell ¼ inch (½ cm) thick inside the peel.
Finely chop the pulp and mix with the lemon juice and then with the brown sugar, spices, and salt. Stuff the apples with the mixture; this is easiest with your (washed!) hands.
Cut the puff pastry into thin strips. Place them over the stuffed opening of each apple, woven like lattice; four strips in either direction. Brush with beaten egg. Place the apples in a baking dish, pour in the cider or water, and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. The apples should be just done but not popped yet. Serve.
Filled with more than 80 simple and seasonal recipes for dishes you can make in the oven
Every week, Yvette van Boven develops a new oven recipe for her magazine column. The recipes are seasonal, delicious, and most importantly, really simple, and now, they’re collected in her latest cookbook: Home Made in the Oven.
What is van Boven serving up fresh from her oven this time? How about autumnal stuffed Portobello mushrooms, a freshly baked plum pie, or cabbage rolls with caraway and hazelnuts. Alongside the more than 80 recipes are van Boven’s annotated illustrations and photographs of finished dishes. For van Boven, everything belongs in the oven: vegetables, meat, fish, pizza, stews, and of course, sweets! The recipes are sure to provide you with plenty of tips, tricks, and inspiration for cooking in your oven.
For more information, click here.
