TWD: Parisian Apple Tartlet

We have Jessica of My Baking Heart to thank for this week's easy, elegant Parisian Apple Tartlet. The ingredient list and difficulty level were about right for a sleep-deprived slacker like me. I think I made the entire recipe in about five minutes, not including baking time.

I didn't use (gasp) all-butter puff pastry, because I had one more sheet of Pepperidge Farm lurking in the freezer, and I decided that its time had come. I was about to press the creased portions together to make four tartlets, then took a look at my fluted biscuit cutter set and realized I could miniaturize these babies. I made nine mini-tartlets using the 3" cutter. Getting the little pinches of butter and brown sugar to stay on top of the apples was a challenge, however. If I make these again mini-style (and I will), I'll melt the butter and sugar together first and glaze the fruit so it distributes more evenly. The finished tartlets (which were gone by sundown) were wonderful - simple and delicately sweet.

As Dorie suggests in the notes accompanying the recipe, you can do this with lots of different fruits. These look fancy-dancy, but could be quickly and easily mass-produced for a dessert tray. Next time I find myself with a lonely puff pastry sheet - all-butter or not - I'll know just what to do. Thanks, Jessica - these tartlets are about as close as I'm getting to Paris in the near future.

Well, the tartlets, and this fantastic book that Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet gave me for my birthday: The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz (who is a FOD, or Friend of Dorie). This was at the top of my to-read list, and Mary must have performed a Vulcan mind-meld on me or something, because she handed me a copy the day before my birthday. Merci beaucoup, Mary! If you don't yet read David Lebovitz's blog, or receive his hilarious Twitter updates, or compulsively read his cookbooks (especially The Perfect Scoop), do yourself a favor and start today.

Next week: I step out on The Perfect Scoop by making Dorie's Honey-Peach Ice Cream, as chosen by Tommi at Brown Interior.

Last week: Cinnamon Squares