APPLE ROSE TARTLETS

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

5 red apples, preferably McIntosh, halved, cored, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar, optional

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Generously coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 12-inch square. Using a 3" round cookie cutter (or a glass with a 3-inch rim) cut out 12 rounds. Press one dough round into each muffin cup, leaving 1/4-inch space from the top. Chill.

Toss apples with the juice in a large bowl. In batches, arrange slices in a microwave-safe baking dish, overlapping as needed. Microwave until soft enough to bend, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet. 

In a small bowl or cup, combine the sugar and cinnamon; divide evenly among the muffin cups.

On surface, line up 12 apple slices, short side to short side, facing in one direction and slices overlapping by about half; roll up jelly-roll style. Fit roll of apple slices, skin side up, into a muffin cup. Repeat until all muffin cups are filled.

Bake at 350-degrees under golden brown and apples are tender. This should take about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Yield: 12 tartlets

file photo - mine would never be this pretty