Apple, Pineapple and Honey Mini Tarts

After enjoying filled cookies made with sweetened condensed milk dough (click HERE for the recipe), I knew I wanted to use this dough in more than one way. The following tasty mini tarts are the result of this decision.

The dough is very quick and easy to assemble, and has a delicate flavor and soft texture. Since this time I wanted to use it to create mini tart shells, I omitted the baking powder from the ingredients, in order to get a bit firmer dough. This worked well, and the dough kept its shape while baking.
As I’m planing to serve these mini tarts for the Jewish New Year, (which will start this coming Friday), I chose the tasty traditional combination of apple and honey, which symbolizes the expectations for a sweet new year. To this, I also added some fresh pineapple, which paired beautifully with the apples and honey, and created a highly aromatic and tasty filling for the tarts. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* Another tasty option for the filling is to use quince jam (click HERE for recipe). Other thick jams can also be used.

Makes: 24 cookies
Prep time: 30 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes and up to overnight
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 L egg, at room temperature
½ cup condensed sweetened milk
1½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
For the filling:
3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cubed
2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water

1. The dough: in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and condensed milk. Add the flour and salt, and mix with a spatula (the dough is quite sticky at first). Knead briefly, adding a bit of flour if needed, and wrap with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight (which is what I did).

2. The filling: place the cubed apples and pineapple in a medium bowl, and blend with a hand blander. Transfer the mixture into a medium pot, add the sugar, honey and water and mix. Cook over medium-high heat, mixing, and bring to the verge of boiling. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 25 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the liquids evaporate. Spread the mixture in a flat container to cool. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to use. (This can be done a day in advance.)

3. Preheat the oven to 340F (170C). Prepare a 24 cup mini muffin pan.
4. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Roll each portion, on a lightly floured working space, to thickness of about 1/8” (0.3cm). Using a 3¼” (8.25cm) flower shaped cookie cutter, cut out discs from each portion and gently press then into the muffin pan cups. Briefly knead the scrapes together, roll them again, and cut the remaining discs. Fill each dough disc with the apple-pineapple mixture.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of the dough are golden brown, and the filling is set. Place on a rack, to cool to room temperature, before serving.