1/8 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
3/4 c cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3-oz. cream cheese, chilled, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 t cider vinegar
5 medium (about 2 pounds total) firm cooking apples, such as
gala or granny smith
1 t finely chopped lime or lemon zest
about
1 c cajeta, store-bought or homemade
the dough. in a
food processor, combine the flour, baking
powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. pulse to mix thoroughly. add 4
ounces (1/2 cup) of the butter and all the cream cheese, then pulse
5 or 6 times until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. drizzle
the vinegar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of ice water over the dough and
pulse 3 times to bring the mixture together into rough clumps. turn
out onto your work surface, divide into 6 parts, and roll each into
a ball. place the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and
refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
the apple filling. peel and core the apples, then cut them
into 1/2-inch cubes; you should have about 6 cups. in a large,
heavy skillet, heat the remaining butter over medium-high. add the
apples and stir nearly constantly as they cook, first releasing
their juice, then softening and browning as the juice evaporates,
8-10 minutes. when the apples are soft and browned, add 1/2
teaspoon of the lime or lemon zest and 1/4 cup of the cajeta. stir
for a minute or two, then remove from the heat. scoop the mixture
onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature, about 15
minutes.
forming the tarts. roll out each ball of dough into a 6-inch
round. transfer the pastry rounds to a parchment-covered or lightly
oiled baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. if the
apples haven't cooled by this point, cover the pastry with plastic
wrap and refrigerate.
spoon 1/3 cup of the filling onto the center of each pastry round,
leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all around. carefully fold the dough
edges up over the filling toward the center, gently pleating the
dough as necessary. if time allows, now place the baking sheet in
the freezer for about 20 minutes.