Rustic Apple Frangipane Tartlets

Don’t be deceived, though these rustic apple frangipane tartlets look impressive, but are actually relatively simple to throw together! Each mini tart is filled with a rich almond frangipane, topped with a delicate fan of thinly sliced apples, and surrounded by a flakey, buttery crust. I especially love making these in the fall during apple picking season when I have access to the freshest, juiciest apples around. Make them to share or even double the recipe for a larger group!

Ingredients to Make Apple Frangipane Tartlets:

Unsalted Butter – You will need 10 tablespoons total of unsalted butter for both the crust and the frangipane. 7 tablespoons will go to the crust and should be used cold straight out of the fridge. The other 3 tablespoons will go to the frangipane and should be room temperature.
Flours – The crust will require 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour. The frangipane, however, will require 1/2 cup of almond flour in addition to one tablespoon of all-purpose.
Table Salt – You will need a pinch of salt for both the pie dough and the frangipane to balance the flavors.
Sugars – You will need 1/3 cup of granulated sugar for the frangipane filling. I also like to sprinkle some demerara sugar on the tartlets just before they bake as a garnish, but this is optional.
An Egg – You will need 1 egg for the frangipane at room temperature.
Vanilla Bean Paste – You will need 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste for the frangipane. Vanilla extract can be substituted at the same quantity, but I always love the look and flavor payoff of vanilla bean paste.
Tart Apples – You will need 2 apples total and half of an apple will be used for each tartlet. I recommend a tart variety of apple, such as pink lady, honeycrisp, braeburn, etc. These will maintain their shape and color better than a red or green apple, as well as offset the sweetness of the frangipane with their acidity.
Lemon Juice – You will need a tablespoon of lemon juice to brush over the apples before baking. This just prevents some of the browning that occurs with oxidation of the apples.

Notes

Do I have to make the pie dough from scratch?

I personally always like homemade pie dough, but if you’re short on time you can absolutely use store bought. Just make sure to buy frozen sheets of pie dough, not a preformed pie shell, so you can cut the dough smaller for this recipe. I would buy 2 sheets to ensure you have enough.

How do I make sure my crust is flakey?

The best way to ensure your pie crust will come out beautifully light and flakey is to make sure the dough stays as COLD as possible throughout the entire process of making it. Start with butter straight from the refrigerator and do not skip any of the dough refrigeration steps. You want the butter to stay in cold, solid bits scattered throughout the dough, rather than melted and fully mixed with the flour.

How can I prevent my pie crust from puffing up in the oven?

I highly recommend pie weights to keep the shape of your crust intact. You don’t have to go out and buy anything fancy, you can use any dry, heavy ingredient in your pantry, such as dried rice or beans. Just make sure you cover the crust beforehand with either parchment paper or foil so the weights don’t make an impression on the dough.

What is the best way to thinly slice the apples?

I would recommend a mandoline to create uniformly thin slices. When I first created this recipe though I did not own a mandoline and just sliced the apples with a knife as evenly as I could, which still worked great! Make sure to brush the slices with the lemon juice right after slicing to prevent any browning of the apples.

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