Rustic Apple Butter Tart

I love to cook but only if it is easy and quick with fabulous results. I have already started planning menus for my holiday entertaining this year. Last night I tested out an idea for a easy yet homemade dessert for a final ta-dah to my holiday meals. If you are not from the South, you may not be familiar with apple butter. This delicacy is a delicious seasoned, dark apple sauce type food for toast and other goodies available in jars with the jelly and preserves.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make 4 tarts, start with 2 frozen deep dish pie crusts, defrosted. For individual tarts, remove both crusts from pie tins and combine into one ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 of an inch. With a knife or sharp rim of a bowl, cut dough into rounds about 6 inches across. If dough becomes too warm and sticks, throw it back into the freezer for a minute to chill.

Place dough rounds in center of a silicone mat lined baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons of apple butter in center of each round, spreading out slightly from center with back of spoon. Thinly slice a green apple and place 3 slices in the center of each tart. Sprinkle apples with sugar and apple or pumpkin pie spice. Fold edges of crust towards center in a clockwise motion leaving most of the apple exposed. Brush an egg wash around edge of the crust and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 25-30 minutes or until apple is soft and crust has browned. Cool for about 20 minutes and serve with a melon baller scoop of premium vanilla ice cream.