Individual Apple Tarts

Serves 4 Flour 1 pound prepared puff pastry, defrosted 4 Golden Delicious apples or other baking apples 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 4 tablespoons granulated sugar Confectioners' sugar Whipped cream or creme fraiche for serving

DIRECTIONS On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. If the dough gets warm and too soft to handle, slide it onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate for half an hour or until firm. Using a plate or a bowl as a guide, measure four 6-inch disks of pastry, cutting the rounds with the tip of a small, sharp knife. Transfer the cut pastry to 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets. Pierce the pastry with the tines of a fork 6 to 8 times; this will help prevent the dough from rising unevenly during the baking. Chill the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the apples. The disks can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for up to a week. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel, core, and halve in pieces 1/8-inch thick. Remove one sheet of disks from the refrigerator. Lay half the apple slices on the pastry in concentric circles, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Evenly dot the tarts with half the butter, and sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar on each tart. Repeat with the other tray. Bake the tarts in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the apples are browned at the edges and the pastry has turned a rich golden brown. Remove the finished tarts from the oven and cool them on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar and topped with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche.