Apple and Almond Butter Puff Pastry Tarts

Apple pie is a family favorite and something my grandmother would make for every holiday. I can remember her peeling all the apples, rolling out the crust and the wonderful smells that would envelop the kitchen. There is something warm and comforting about a good old-fashioned apple pie. While those memories are great, I’m not much of an apple pie-maker myself. I don’t really enjoy pie crusts as I find them too heavy, so I was looking for something that would be an easy but tasty substitute.

Apple and Almond Butter Puff Pastry Tarts are that something. Puff pastry is easy to work with and lighter to the taste. I’ve always eaten apples with almond butter (or peanut butter) so that combination is appealing to me. The addition of apple butter for creaminess and salted almonds for crunch perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the apples. Since we used puff pastry, the final result is a rustic-looking dessert that is very tasty, especially if you add some vanilla ice cream.

To start making this dessert, roll out the thawed puff pastry into a long rectangle. Using a Pizza Cutter, cut the puff pastry in half so that you end up with two squares.

Peel the apples using a 2-3/4" Bird’s Beak Paring Knife. Core them and then cut them into one-half-inch wedges. Learn how to slice apples perfectly with our How to Slice Apples infographic.

Transfer the four puff pastry squares to a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Using a Spatula Spreader, spread the almond butter in the center of each puff pastry to cover approximately four to five inches of the pastry. Then spread the apple butter over the almond butter.

Layer on the apples, sprinkle on the almonds and place pats of butter on top. Sprinkle everything with sugar. Brush the pastry edges with the egg wash and fold the edges around the apples, sealing any edges and leaving the center open. Brush each pastry again with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Place the tarts in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill and then bake per the instructions.

Once the tarts are cooked, place each one on a plate and dust with powdered sugar. You can also serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Easy to make, these Apple and Almond Butter Puff Pastry Tarts are a rustic-looking dessert that will please any guest or family member. They taste phenomenal and will satisfy a sweet tooth – enjoy!