3/4 c Sugar
4 md Golden Delicious apples
2 tb Cold unsalted butter
4 Gingersnap cookies
Half a; (17 1/4-ounce)
; package (1 sheet)
; frozen puff pastry,
; thawed
ACCOMPANIMENT
Lightly sweetened whipped
-cream or ice
; cream
Preheat over to 450F.
In a dry heavy saucepan (about 1-quart capacity) cook sugar over moderate
heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue cooking sugar,
stirring with a fork until it is melted and then swirling pan, until it is
a deep-golden caramel. Pour caramel into four 6-ounce ramekins (3 1/4 to
3 1/2 inches in diameter).
Peel and cut 1 apple into 5 wedges and core wedges. Put wedges back
together to re-form apple shape and stand upright, stem end down, in a
ramekin (wedges will protrude over rim). Repeat procedure with remaining
apples.
Cut butter into 4 pieces. Put 1 gingersnap, broken into 4 pieces, in center
of each re-formed apple and top with 1 piece of butter. Arrange ramekins in
a shallow baking pan and bake apples in middle of oven 45 minutes.
While apples are baking, halve puff-pastry sheet crosswise and then
lengthwise to make 4 nearly square pieces and chill, wrapped in plastic
wrap. Remove baking sheet with ramekins from oven and drape a piece of puff
pastry over each apple (edges of pastry will extend beyond rims). Return
pan to oven and reduce oven temperature to 350F. Bake tarts 20 to 25
minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Remove tarts from oven. Invert heatproof dessert plates over ramekins and
invert tarts carefully onto them.
Serve tarts warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
Makes 4 individual tarts.
Yields
1 servings