1. In a non-stick 12-muffin pan*, mold the croissant dough into the muffin cups so that the dough wraps the surfaces. Use a spoon to smooth the edges, and cut off any excess dough.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and then sprinkle it over the dough. 
2. Bake the crusts at 350° for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
3. Peel and dice the apples, set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the apples. Cook and stir over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until crisp-tender.
5. Stir in the sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon extract, salt, and water. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the apples are tender and the sauce is thickened. Cool for 5 minutes.
6. Spoon filling into the tarte shells.

*You can use a 24 mini-muffin pan if you want to make them more bite-sized.

I know I rarely  post recipes, but what I do know is that many blog readers prefer us bloggers to go straight to the recipe. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts tell us we need to post longer word-count articles, and also the time on the post helps to improve the SEO of the post, so you may see some long, drawn out recipe posts where you need to scroll down to actually get to it. For me, if and when I post recipes, I will put my story after the recipe because I know you came for the recipe and if you really like what you see, you might just scroll down to read the story behind it. If you’ve read this far, I thank you.

I’m not going to lie, my husband does most of the cooking in the house. Not that I can’t cook, but I’ve always been much more of a baker. Plus, I am a mom entrepreneur, so my time is very restricted nowadays. When we were first married, my husband gained about 70 pounds in the first year thanks to my cooking (and baking), and he decided it would be healthier for us all if he started doing the cooking.

When Envy™ apples approached me to create a recipe using their apples, I knew in an instant that I would make something related to apple pies. You see, the first thing I ever learned to cook was an apple pie. At the age of three, my mom bought me Pyrex & TupperWare kid sets, with real working baking equipment. I suppose that may be why I am more of a baker than a cook. Even better, this opportunity allowed me to give away samples of my recipe, prepared by Publix Apron chefs, inside a Publix store! (They were also going to feature me at a Publix Apron cooking school class at the end of September, but I had too many commitments for that day.)

It is so gratifying to create a recipe, be able to share it with other people, and then have people compliment the recipe on how delicious and easy to prepare it was. I explained to the taste testers that, as a mom, I was mindful of how easy and quick it was to prepare this recipe. Speed is a necessity when you are balancing multiple schedules, homework and extracurricular activities. These tartes are great for little hands, don’t require plates or utensils to eat, and are perfect as a pass-around dessert for holiday parties. One patron even exclaimed, “I am going home tonight to make this for my own kids!” That’s exactly the kind of response I was hoping for.

So tell me what you think. Is this a recipe you’d like to try out? Or have you tried it out already and want to tell me how it went? Do you think I should create more recipes for this blog?  Comment below, and in the meantime, please keep reading to learn a bit more about the brand who made this post possible.

Info about Envy™ apples

Envy™ apples are naturally grown  in Washington State and New Zealand, and are a non-GMO cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala apples. They are very slow to brown, making them perfect for party platters, picnics, charcuterie boards, salads, and especially kid’s lunches. Their naturally higher citric acid content prevents the “browning” enzyme from activating.  These premium apples, with extraordinary crunch and texture, are refreshingly sweet and can be found nationwide at grocery stores including:  Publix, Whole Foods, Walmart, Market 5 one 5, Central Market, Raley’s, King Soopers, IGA, Wegmans and more. For the store nearest you visit envyapple.com and click on the store locator.

Disclosure: I was compensated for both creating the recipe and for conducting the sampling activity. All opinions expressed are my own.