Poached Apple Tartlets with Red Wine Reduction

Fall is the perfect time for this delicious dessert.  These tartlets are so easy and tasty that you will look like a culinary genius when you serve them.

Poached Apple Tartlets with Red Wine Reduction

apples – you will need between 1/2 and 1 apple per tart depending on how large the apples are and how large your tartlet pans are.

Red wine – use whatever you have beside your cooktop

1/2 c + sugar

three sticks of cinnamon or 2 t ground cinnamon

zest of one orange

juice of two oranges

10 black peppercorns

1 T honey or agave syrup

1 recipe of the flakey pie crust (on this website) blind baked in the tartlet pans

 The indentations are from the beans when I blind baked the shells

Peel, core, and half the apples.  Pour the wine, sugar, honey, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and black pepper into a large saute pan.  Place the apples in the wine cut side down.

  (I cut my orange zest into a long ribbon so I can easily remove it)

Turn the heat to a soft boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes then turn the apples over and simmer an additional 10 minutes.  The apples are done when they are a slight fork tender.  Remove to a bowl and strain the wine sauce to remove the peppercorns, orange zest, and cinnamon sticks.  Return the red wine to the pan and reduce until syrupy.

Slice the poached apples (cut side down on a cutting board and slice).  Arrange the apple slices in the baked tartlet shells (place the apple slice so the top is red from the wine.  Overlap them slightly to form a rose).  When the red wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency, drizzle it over the apples tartlets and serve.

Great with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh whipped cream.