Quick but Tantalising Apple Tarts

Why make a whole apple pie when you can make individual tarts for each guest, with less fuss? The liquor-laced whipped cream adds a special touch.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

•  flour, for dusting
• 250  g premade puff pastry, thawed
• 1  teaspoon  cooking oil
• 1  lemon
• 1  tablespoon caster sugar
• 4  medium apples
• 2  tablespoons icing sugar
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 150  g  whipping cream
• 2 -3  tablespoons  whiskey or 2 -3  tablespoons calvados (optional)
•  cinnamon-sugar mixture (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F or 240 degrees C.
2. Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry very thinly.
3. Cut out four circles, using a saucer as a guide.
4. Sprinkle a little water on an oiled baking sheet, and lay out the circles of pastry.
5. Lightly prick the pastry all over with the tips of a fork to stop it rising as it cooks and pushing off the apples.
6. Squeeze the lemon juice into a mixing bowl and stir in the caster sugar.
7. Peel, core and slice the apples into thin segments.
8. As you work, place them in the sweetened lemon juice to keep them from browning.
9. Cover the pastry with the apple slices in overlapping circles.
10. Then sprinkle icing sugar over each tart and dot with butter.
11. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the apples are tender and scorched in places.
12. Serve hot, warm or cold with the cream, whipped, if you like, with whisky.
13. To do this in true French style, use calvados.
14. Another impressive way to serve this dish (although you'll need more liquor than this recipe calls for) is to sprinkle a cinnamon/sugar mixture over the tart just before serving.
15. Then, take the tart to the table, pour the calvados over the entire face of the tart and light with a match.
16. Aside from wowing everyone with your talent, the flames will carmelise the cinnamon/sugar mixture, adding a crunchy topping.
17. Yum!