Mini French Apple Tart

Combine flour, sugar, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse until pea­size crumbs form. Drizzle in 3 tbsp. ice­cold water until dough is moistened, about 3—4 pulses. (Do not pulse so much that the dough forms a mass.) It will clump together when you form it into a disk.

Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Unwrap dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into 1/4 inch thickness and then cut out circles to fit your tart tins. Chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375º. If you’re using the jam, spread a thin layer of it across the bottom surface of your tart shell. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together.

Press sliced apple half gently to fan it out; repeat with remaining apple halves. Place 1 fanned apple half on outer edge of the tart dough, pointing inward; repeat with more apple halves (or as many as you are able to fit.)

Starting where the apple halves touch and working your way in, layer apples to create a tight rose pattern. Mine isn't a quarter as pretty as Saveur's (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Saveur-100-2011-French-Apple-Tart), but it was good enough for a mini tart.

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. If your apples are really sweet, you won’t need a full 1/4 cup. Dot with remaining butter — this seems like a lot of butter, and you certainly could cut back, but I think it adds flavor. Bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes

If you skipped the jam earlier, you can give it a little jam glaze now. Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan until warmed and loose; pour through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. And brush the top of the tart.

Serve with ice cream or fresh cream.