Apple Tarts with Vanilla Ice Cream

From the kitchen of Carly

Caramelized Gala apples arranged on crispy puff pastry, their edges burnished golden in the oven. The vanilla bean syrup spiked with apple skin essence pools around each tart. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream melting into every bite.

Apple Tarts with Vanilla Ice Cream

Gala apples fanned thin and baked in a vanilla syrup turn tender and jammy inside their puff pastry frame, while the edges crisp up beneath a hit of butter and sugar. The trick is slicing them paper-thin so they cook through and caramelize all at once, no stewing required. Serve warm with cold ice cream to pull the whole thing together.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 6Gala apples
  • 1/2 cupwater
  • 1/2 cupsugar
  • 1/2vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1 packagefrozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
  • 1All-purpose flour for dusting
  • 1 1/2 tbspunsalted butter, melted
  • 1vanilla ice cream
  • 1parchment paper

Instructions

  1. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds, then preheat to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Peel the apples and set the skins aside. In a 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together the water and 6 tablespoons of sugar, then scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod directly into the pan and drop the pod in too. Add the reserved apple skins and bring everything to a boil, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Pull the pan off the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes, then strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids before discarding them.

  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll one pastry sheet into a 10-inch square using a lightly floured rolling pin, then cut it in half and lay both pieces on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the second sheet, transferring those halves to the second baking sheet.

  4. Halve all 6 apples lengthwise and core each half with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon. Cut crosswise into very thin slices, 1/8 inch thick or less, keeping each half intact as you work. Fan the slices out slightly to maintain the apple shape, then arrange 3 halves in a row down the center of each pastry rectangle, leaving a 2/3-inch border on all sides.

  5. Lightly brush the border with syrup, then fold it over about 1/3 inch so it just meets the edges of the apples. Crimp the folded edge with a fork, then brush both the apples and the pastry edges with more syrup, reserving what remains. Finish by brushing the apples completely with the melted butter and sprinkling the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top.

  6. Slide the tarts into the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Swap the positions of the sheets, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, and continue baking until the edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. If the pastry edges are browning unevenly, rotate the tarts 180 degrees on their sheets halfway through this second stretch.

  7. While the tarts finish baking, bring the reserved syrup to a boil over moderate heat and let it reduce to about 1/4 cup, which takes 30 seconds to 1 minute.

  8. Rest the tarts for 5 minutes, then brush the warm apples generously with the reduced syrup before serving alongside vanilla ice cream.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Slice apples on a mandoline if you have one, just guard your knuckles, because 1/8 inch or thinner is key to getting them to soften in the oven without falling apart.
  • Make the vanilla syrup ahead and let it cool completely so you can brush it on the pastry without dampening it so much that it won't crisp up.
  • If your puff pastry keeps shrinking as you shape it, let it rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before you arrange the apples and fold the edges.

Variations

  • Use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples if Gala isn't available, just pick ones that are firm and reasonably tart so they don't turn to mush.
  • Skip the vanilla bean and swap in a cinnamon stick and a star anise in the syrup for warm spice that plays better with fall.
  • Make free-form galettes instead by just folding the pastry edges over the apple without crimping, which is faster and looks more rustic.
  • Brush the finished tarts with an apricot jam glaze while they're still warm from the oven for extra shine and a touch of tartness.

Make ahead and storage

Tarts are best eaten the day they're made while the pastry is still crisp. Leftovers keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes to restore some crispness.