Recipe: Cheese and Apple Tartlets

Cheese and Apple Tartlets
Yield: 8 servings

Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
5 tbsp ice water (or 6 tbsp)

Apple filling:
1 1/4 lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
8 tsp sugar
16 tsp Shredded cheddar cheese

Pastry:
Combine flour and salt in large bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually sprinkle with ice water, tossing with a fork until all is moistened. Gather dough into a ball. Divide dough in half. Form each ball into a square. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Assemble:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut each dough square in quarters. On lightly floured surface, roll out each pastry piece to a 5-inch circle. Press pastry rounds into 4-inch tartlet pans. Trim edge. Set pans on baking sheet. Spoon chopped apples evenly in pastry shells. Sprinkle each with 1 tsp sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes until pastry is lightly browned and apple is tender. Remove from oven. Sprinkle each tartlet with 2 tsp cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Source: Victoria Magazine, March 1995, from article on Common Ground heritage apples orchard in Lustleigh England