Apple and Dulce de Leche Puff Pastry Tarts

Ingredients

To make these apple and dulce de leche puff pastry tarts, you’ll only need these three ingredients:

• Ready-rolled puff pastry – 1 (dimensions: about 14 × 9 in (35 × 23 cm) and weight: 320 g/11.3 oz )
• Apples – 2 small-medium (like Gala, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp)
• Dulce de Leche – 1/2 cup dulce de leche (about 150 grams), plus 2 tbsp for drizzling at the end

Notes:

Using US puff pastry: Ready-rolled sheets in the US are often smaller squares, about 9.5 in / 24 cm. Thaw according to the package, unfold gently, and pinch any cracks along the folds. Cut one sheet into 6 rectangles (along the fold lines, then across the middle) and use 1.5 apples, 6 tbsp dulce de leche for spreading, and 1.5 tbsp for drizzling. Or use both sheets for 12 tarts and double those amounts. Other brands vary in size, so measure your sheet and aim for rectangles of roughly 4.5 × 3.5 in.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C (180°C Fan).

Step 2. Place the puff pastry sheet onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut the ready-rolled puff pastry into 8 equal rectangles, with each rectangle about 4.5 × 3.5 in (11.5 × 9 cm). Spread the rectangles out a bit so they don’t touch. Score a border (without cutting all the way through) of around 1/2 inch or 1 cm from the edge on each rectangle. Poke a few holes with a fork inside the border.

Step 3. Halve the apples, remove the core, and slice them into thin slices (about 1/8 inch or 3 mm).

Step 4. Spread the dulce de leche well inside the border of each puff pastry rectangle. Top each one with overlapping thin apple slices (1/4th apple per tart). If the dulce de leche is too cold or thick and doesn’t spread well, warm it up in the microwave in 15-second increments until it’s spreadable (but not hot).

Step 5. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack, and bake until the puff pastry has risen on the sides and is golden around the edges and underneath (about 18-20 minutes). Let the tarts cool for a couple of minutes before the next step.

Step 6. Warm up the remaining dulce de leche in the microwave in 15-second increments until you can pour it. Drizzle the warm dulce de leche on the baked puff pastry tarts.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• For shinier edges, you could brush the top of the borders with an egg wash before baking the tarts.
• Optionally, you can squeeze fresh lemon juice over the apple slices both to keep them from browning and to add a bit of brightness to balance out the sweetness of dulce de leche.
• You can serve these on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a pinch of flaky Maldon sea salt, which pairs so well with dulce de leche. You could also serve them with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream.
• These are best the day they’re made and served warm. You can recrisp leftovers in the oven for a couple of minutes at 350°F / 175°C.
• If you prefer a less sweet tart, use 6 tbsp dulce de leche for spreading instead of 1/2 cup.
• You can also use this recipe with pears instead of apples for pear puff pastry tarts.