Apple Tart à la Mode

5 from 2 votes

Apple Tart à la Mode is both simple to make and elegant to serve. Put it together ahead of time and bake during dinner. Top with vanilla ice cream and bourbon caramel sauce for an unforgettable dessert.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 617kcal

Ingredients

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) water
¼ cup (2 ounces) heavy cream, room temperature
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces) bourbon (See Tip 1)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Apple Tart à la Mode

2 to 3 small to medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (See Tip 2)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (See Tip 3)
4 puff pastry shells, thawed
Vanilla ice cream
Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Instructions

Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Add ½ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat without starring until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and cover pan. Cook without stirring for 5 minutes or until mixture turns a dark amber color. (See Tip 4)
Remove from heat. Add cream and whisk to combine. (See Tip 5)
Add butter, bourbon, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk to combine.
Yield: About one cup.

Apple Tart à la Mode

Combine apple slices, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to cream cheese; stir until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each Puff Pastry Shell to a 5 to 6-inch circle. Cut to a 5-inch circle. Prick each circle very thoroughly with the tines of a fork. Place on a silicone lined baking sheet.
Spread ¼ of the cream cheese mixture evenly on each pastry circle. Top with a single layer of apples, arranged in a spiral fashion.
Bake at 400º F for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on a wire rack. (See Tip 6)
Serve warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and Bourbon Caramel Sauce drizzled on top.
Yield: 4 servings.

Notes

If desired, you can omit the bourbon from the caramel sauce.
I like to use 3 small apples for this, each cut into 16 pieces. Larger apples can also be used. However, the spiral design is more appealing with the use of small apples.
I used low fat cream cheese here.
Watch the sugar mixture closely. Once it starts to color, it moves quickly and can easily burn.
When you add the cream, the mixture will bubble up violently. Therefore, be careful that you don't get burned.
For an elegant dessert for your dinner party, make the apple tarts in advance up to this point. Right before serving dinner, cook the apple tarts. Remove from the oven after 20 minutes and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition