Rustic Apple Tart with Fleur de Sel Caramel

Impress your dinner guests with a decadent dessert that is surprisingly simple to prepare. Thanks to some of my favorite Trader Joe's products, this flaky apple tart can be assembled in a matter of minutes. The most effortful step is the peeling and slicing of the apples. The result is a truly authentic tasting French pastry. Nobody will know it is semi-homemade!

   Ingredients

2 sheets of Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry

3 apples (I used Granny Smith)

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 jar of Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel caramel sauce

2 tablespoons butter 

   Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and remove the puff pastry from the freezer to defrost for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, core and peel your apples, and then slice them into very thin uniform slices. If you have one, a mandoline slicer makes this step a breeze! I used the 1/8-inch thickness setting. In a large bowl, gently toss the apple slices with the sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Place one sheet of puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut four one-inch strips from the other sheet of puff pastry.* Place the strips on the outer edges of the large puff pastry sheet. Lightly drizzle the pastry with some of the caramel sauce. Arrange the apple slices in a pretty design on top of the caramel sauce. Place dabs of butter on top of the apples. Gently brush the edges of the tart with the beaten egg. Bake the tart in the oven for 15 minutes, rotating it as necessary to avoid uneven browning due to hotspots in the oven. While the tart is baking, slightly warm more of the caramel sauce in the microwave. Removed the tart from the oven and drizzle with more caramel. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the pastry edges are golden brown and the filling is bubbly and starts to thicken. Cool slightly before cutting and serve with fresh whipped cream. C'est très bon!

*There will be some leftover puff pastry. Cut it into small squares, brush with melted butter and dust with cinnamon sugar. Bake the squares along with your apple tart and remove when they are puffy and golden brown, around the time you'd add the caramel topping to the tart. Voila! Elephant ears! I loved when my mom did this with pie crust scraps when I was little.