Friday, February 4, 2011

Apple Phyllo Tarts

Apple fritters, apple dumplings, or a buttery apple-filled coffee cake would have been delicious, but I wanted to keep things a little less indulgent at least until Valentine’s Day. So, I found a great way to use the apples I’ve been getting from my CSA in Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook. These are easy, little tarts to make with store-bought phyllo dough, and I even found whole wheat phyllo dough to make them that much more virtuous. The phyllo tart shells are baked empty to keep them very crisp, and the cooked apples with their syrup get spooned into the shells just before serving. The recipe was kept simple and low-calorie for a dessert by using minimal amounts of butter and sugar. I did complicate matters just slightly by adding two additional ingredients with rosemary and lemon zest.

Once the phyllo was thawed by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight, the sheets needed to be cut into squares. I doubled the recipe to make eight tart shells instead of four and used six sheets of phyllo which were stacked and cut into seven inch squares. I’m terrible at eye-balling a straight, even-sided square, so I used my trusty, kitchen ruler. Ordinarily, when using phyllo, each piece is brushed with melted butter before another layer is added, but here, the butter was only used on the second of three layers. A scant bit of sugar was sprinkled on each layer, and three squares were stacked for each tart. The stacked layers of dough were then gently fitted into ring molds that had been sprayed with oil. I used English muffins rings. Then, the tart shells were baked for about ten minutes until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, apples were chopped and combined with lemon juice and apple juice, and I left the peels on them. Butter was melted in a skillet, one tablespoon of sugar was added to caramelize, and a splash of cognac gave it another layer of flavor. Out of instinct, I added some sea salt to the caramel. Then, the apples and juices were added to the pan and were left to cook while the sauce reduced, and that’s when I added a sprig of rosemary. The cooked apples and sauce were spooned into the tart shells, and I garnished with chopped rosemary and some lemon zest.

If you don’t have ring molds or English muffin rings handy, you can also just make little stacks of crumpled phyllo sheets to be baked and then topped with the apples. On television years ago, I saw Michel Richard prepare a recipe involving just that with multiple layers of apples and phyllo pieces served with custard. But, if you have a way to form cup shapes with the layers of phyllo, they hold the filling perfectly. I loved how they shattered into flaky bits when cutting into them with a fork. And, the caramel sauce with lemon and subtle rosemary flavor made the apples special without being too rich.



30 comments:

  1. Those crispy cute tarts look absolutely tempting!

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  2. Yum! I'm prepping apples for chaussons aux pommes. Found some lovely little Fujis from N. TX at Wheatsville. Not quite as healthy as your apple dessert, though. Katherine from Austin Gastronomist and I were discussing that you really need to put together a cookbook proposal. Somehow you manage to make healthy food look so scrumptious!

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  3. A pretty treat that I don't have to feel too guilty about. ;) Nice job.

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  4. Shelley: Wow, thank you! I'd love to if I could think of a topic that hasn't been covered 20 times at this point.;)

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  5. This is a great idea. I have a good friend (and former client) who just found out she is diabetic. She loves desserts so I am happy I have something that I can make for her that we can all enjoy.

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  6. Fantastic idea! I love the addition of rosemary in there. I love the slight bit of savoury with sweet, i think it brings out something really special in the fruit.
    Have a fantastic weekend.
    *kisses* HH

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  7. A delicious combination! Filo pastry is so great and useful.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  8. Wow, those tarts look fantastic. Sounds so easy to make too. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog called "Sweets for a Saturday" and I'd like to invite you to stop by and link your tarts up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com

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  9. So so cute and what greatp presentation!

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  10. What a clever idea using a low fat whole wheat phyllo pastry! And yes something a little less indulgent would be great! :D

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  11. So tempting. I love anything with phyllo.

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  12. These are so cute and I love that they are good for you! I could see myself popping these for a snack every hour. Or so.

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  13. I love the lighter phyllo crusts you use here. They must have such a fun texture.

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  14. What lovely little tarts - I especially like your idea to add rosemary! Where did you find whole wheat phyllo dough?!?

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  15. Kerstin: I found the whole wheat phyllo at Whole Foods.

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  16. Perfect little light desserts - I like the rosemary flavor with the apples!

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  17. wonderful crunchy warm soft comforting, in short I love these!

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  18. Whole wheat phyllo? How have I missed that?
    These are lovely tarts, Lisa. An elegant little dessert, not too sweet and I love the rosemary!

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  19. whole wheat phyllo? hmm, i didn't see this type at my local grocery.
    your desserts are so light but full of flavor. love the addition on rosemary.
    Thanks for sharing Lisa, have a wonderful Sunday

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  20. This sounds so good. I wonder where I can find whole wheat phyllo.

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  21. I must keep an eye out for whole wheat phyllo as I can see it really brings this beautifully simple & healthy little dish to the next level. Lovely.

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  22. baking with phyllo has been on my to-do for sometime now, seeing your gorgeous tarts is nudging closer to trying it.

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  23. shattered phyllo--me likey. :) the lemon and rosemary components are fascinating and, dare i say it, alluring. :)

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  24. Good idea, the soft fruit with the crispy phyllo must have been wonderful!

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  25. Mmmmmm..... You know I am such an apple fan that this would still seem wonderfully indulgent to me. Thanks for sharing another gem Lisa!

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  26. I haven't worked with whole wheat phyllo and I bet it gave the tarts a wonderful flavor. Simple, elegant and not too calorie dense - the perfect post holiday indulgence!

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  27. Oh, look at their crispy pleated skirt! :)

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  28. What cool and creative little tarts!

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  29. I love the lightness of this dessert - and the fact that it's super-easy to make. Plus, I love that you used rosemary. Rosemary is so underrated, isn't it?

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  30. Love anything with apples and have been meaning to make something else with them. These are perfect!

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