I’ve never really been great at making desserts. But the fact is that when you entertain, people expect an amazing dessert. So I’ve learned to create a few simple, yet elegant desserts. One of my favorites for the Fall is Maple Pecan Apple Tarts. Store-bought puff pastry is one of my favorite ingredients for making “on the fly” appetizers and desserts. While it can be intimidating to work with at first, once you start you will wonder why you haven’t used it sooner! What’s great about this dessert is that it captures the flavors of Fall from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
The wine pairing for this dessert was simple, a Tavel Rosé from France. It is the epitome of Fall. Tavel Rosé is characterized by a dark pink color and a more robust flavor than Provence Rosé. The rich and spicy flavor will complement the maple and apple flavors beautifully. Check out my Rosé pairing page to learn more.
Maple Pecan Apple Tart
Ingredients
- 1 package of puff pastry (I prefer DuFour brand)
- ½ cup of maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 tablespoon apple cider
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of apricot jam
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 Honeycrisp apples
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 cup of boiling water
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- Step 2 Remove puff pastry from package and let thaw on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes or until soft enough (yet still cold) to roll out.
- Step 3 To make the filling, combine maple syrup, ghee, apple cider, jam, and cinnamon in small non-stick sauté pan. Heat on low until just combined. Remove from heat and add in the pecans and pinch of salt. Set aside to cool.
- Step 4 To prepare the apples, combine the lemon juice and boiling water in a medium bowl. Slice the apples in half and remove the core. Slice the apples as thinly as you can. Then add to the lemon juice water mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the puff pastry.
- Step 5 To prepare the puff pastry, work with 1 sheet at a time, keeping the other sheet in the refrigerator to stay cold. Sprinkle work surface with flour so the dough does not stick while rolling. Roll out dough to approximate 10×13 size rectangle. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out large circles of the dough and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. You should get between 4-6 circles depending on the size of your cutter. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up the dough before adding the filling. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.
- Step 6 To assemble, place 1-2 tablespoons of the pecan mixture in the center of the circle leaving about a ¼ inch border. Top with 1 layer apples, placing them evenly around the circle slightly overlapping. Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes until puffed around the edges and golden brown. Drizzle with leftover pecan mixture and set aside to cool. Finish with a sprinkle of powder sugar and serve. Leftovers (if there are any) are great with morning coffee!
