Mini apple tarts with butterscotch sauce

Mini apple tarts with butterscotch sauce
Sweet Treats

Apple pie is my favourite dessert to eat in the winter, and I always choose apple pie over pumpkin at Thanksgiving. This recipe has the wonderful tartness of apples and the warmth from cinnamon and mixed spice which makes it perfect for a cold night. The butterscotch sauce is optional, but who could say no to the buttery, sweet indulgence that is butterscotch? By all means make your own pastry instead of using pre-made like I did here – I just felt it was worth it to have more time to sit by the fireside and it certainly tastes just as good!

Ingredients:
  • 1 package shortcrust pastry
  • 450g apples after peeling and coring
  • 70g brown sugar
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 200ml double cream
  • 50g sugar
  • 25g butter

 

Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to the instructions on the shortcrust package. Roll out the pastry to be slightly thinner than it comes in the package (probably 200°C), and cut out four circles to fit in your pie dishes. Re-roll pastry leftovers and cut out four tops from these.
  2. Bake the pastry in the oven, weighing it down with baking beans on top of parchment paper, for 10 minutes.
  3. While pastry is baking, slice the apples very fine. Place into a bowl with the lemon juice, cinnamon, mixed spice and flour, then give it a stir to combine.
  4. When pastry comes out of the oven, let it cool for about two minutes before spooning apple filling in. Place prepared tops on the pies, making sure to cut some holes or lines for air to escape.
  5. Brush with a beaten egg or buttermilk and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes.
  6. Make the butterscotch sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, then adding the sugar and letting it melt for a minute or so until it starts to become a bit golden in colour. Slowly add in the double cream, stirring all the while. You will have to stir this for about ten minutes at a simmer, so just be patient with it! Remove from heat when it coats the back of a spoon without all sliding off immediately.
  7. When pies are finished baking, allow to cool for a little bit before drizzling on the butterscotch sauce. Serve with some whipped cream and enjoy!