Apple and Pear Tartlets

Serves: 12 appetizers

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons cold all-vegetable shortening (e.g. Crisco)
• 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 4 baking apples (Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, Jonagold or McIntosh)
• 4 Ripe but firm Bosc pears
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground preferred
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cognac

Pie Crust Directions:

• Cut butter into ¾” inch pieces and place in freezer for 15 minutes. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  
• Place the Crisco in 1 tablespoon lumps into the food processor along wi6th the frozen butter pieces.  Pulse about 8 times (1-second pulses), or until the dough appears slightly yellow and pebbly in texture and the butter is reduced to very small pieces, the size of tiny peas or smaller.  
• Put mixture into a medium bowl.
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture.  With the blade of a large rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix, then press down on dough with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more water if dough will not come together.  Work slowly, mixing the dough to evenly distribute the water.  This should take about 1 minute.  The dough should be very wet and sticky at this point. It is better to add too much water than too little.  
• Shape dough into a ball with your hands, turn onto a lightly floured surface, and flatten into 4” wide disk.  Dust very lightly with flour, wrap in plastic,, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• If dough has spent more than 1 hour in the refrigerator, let warm up a few minutes on the counter before proceeding.  Roll out dough and place into pan/molds.  Push dough gently down the sides of the pan. Trim dough around edge of pan, leaving a ½” border.  Fold excess dough underneath the edge of the dough and shape edge using fingers or press with the tines of a fork.  
• Place in refrigerator for at least 40 minutes.  Place in freezer for 20 minutes.

Apple / Pear filling Directions:

• Make pastry crust and prepare tartlet pans.
• Peel and core the apples and pears.  Cut the fruit into thin slices that will fit into the tartlets.  Toss with fresh lemon juice and cognac. Place fruit into a covered baking dish and cover dish.  
• Preheat an oven to 375 degree F.
• Bake crusts on lower rack for 21 minutes or until dough sets up and loses its wet soft texture – use foil and pie weights as needed.  Remove foil / pie weights and bake for another 7 minutes or until crust just turning golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium-high heat, combine ¼ cup of the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the water, ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon and the lemon zest.  Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Remove the syrup from the heat and add to baking dish with fruit.
• Cover and bake until nearly tender, about 30 minutes.  Uncover, baste with pan juices and bake until easily pierced, about 15 minutes longer.
• Place the baked fruit into prepared tartlet shells. Refrigerate until 30 minutes before server.  Let tartlets get to room temperature. 
• To serve: Place tartlets on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute to warm them up and finish browning.  Serve immediately.

The Dessert Bible, Pg 218
William-Sonoma Complete Season cookbook, pg. 200