Appletassies Recipes

Steps:

• For candied lemon zest: Remove zest from lemons with a vegetable peeler, keeping pieces long. Remove white pith using a paring knife, and finely julienne using a very sharp knife. Place julienned zest in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes; drain.
• Bring 1 cup sugar and the cool water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When sugar is completely dissolved, add julienned zest, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand overnight. Remove zest, and drain on wire rack. Roll in sugar. Dry on wire rack. Store zest in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in upper third. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini-muffin pan; set aside. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour and butter. Pulse until mixture is the consistency of fine crumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Process until evenly incorporated and smooth; do not overprocess.
• Divide the dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into 6 pieces. Shape into balls. Place each ball in a muffin cup; press down in the centers so that the dough fits the cups snugly. Set muffin pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake until lightly browned all over and slightly darker at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet with muffin pan to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until completely smooth. Using a 1/4-ounce ice cream scoop, fill the cooled crusts. Bake until filling is set and just beginning to color at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer muffin pan to a wire rack. Garnish with candied lemon peel. Let cool completely before serving. The tassies may be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Gradually add flour. It should form a moist dough. Portion into approximately teaspoon balls into mini muffin tin. Flatten to fit tin. (I really, really recommend the Pampered Chef mini tin and especially the wooden mini tart shaper. It makes this process super fast.)
• In a medium sauce pan combine apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the apple begin to soften. Add flour and mixture will thicken slightly.
• Add filling with a spoon to each tart shell and avoid apples overflowing sides of pan. (they will stick to the pan and make it harder to release the tarts.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Let rest for a couple minutes and release with a teaspoon. You can either drizzle them with a caramel sauce, dust with powdered sugar or you could even top with a crumb topping prior to baking.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the confectioners? sugar and salt until fluffy, about 1 more minute. Gradually beat in the flour until the dough comes together.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times until smooth. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 12-inch-long rope. Cut each rope into 12 pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and put the balls in a 24-cup mini-muffin tin. Use your thumb to press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the cups, making the bottom slightly thinner than the sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Toss the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, apple pie spice and vanilla in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the apple mixture and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. There should be some liquid left in the skillet; if not, stir in 1/4 cup water.
• Mix the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; stir into the apple mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until thick and bubbling, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl to cool, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the apple mixture evenly among the muffin cups. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tassies are golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then use an offset spatula to remove the tassies and transfer to a rack to cool completely. They will crisp as they cool.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed. Shape mixture into 48 balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin pan. Press 1 chilled dough ball into each cup and shape into a tart shell.
• Whisk brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pecans. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with the remaining pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookie shell are delicately brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.