Apple and Almond Cream Tartelettes

Based on https://www.oogio.net/apple_pie/ , crust recipe is based on the Chocolate "Porcupine" recipe by Micky Shemo: https://shemo.co.il/

Yields ~18-20 tartelettes

Streusel:

• 65 grams sugar
• 80 grams all-purpose flour
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• pinch of salt

 Crust:

• 50 grams sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1 egg
• 210 grams (1 1/2 cups) AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• [optional, if mixture is too dry] 1-2 tsp milk
• [optional, if mixture is too soft/wet] 1-2 tsp flour

Almond Cream:

• 60 grams almond flour
• 60 grams sugar
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1 egg-yolk (yellow) from a Large egg
• 1 tbsp AP flour / corn starch
• 1-2 tbsp milk

Apples:

• 2 large (or 3 medium, or 4-5 tiny) apples - I use Gala. 
• 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• ~1/2 tsp cinnamon (few good shakes)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Greek yogurt cream frosting [optional]:

• 150 grams greek yogurt
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla pudding powder
• [optional] cinnamon

How to make:

1. Streusel: Process all streusel ingredients in food processor until crumbs form; transfer to an air-tight container, store in refrigerator/freezer until use. 
2. Crust dough (no need to clean the food processor bowl/blade! yay!): 
1. Using a fork, mix together the flower and baking powder until combined.
2. Process butter and sugar in a food processor until combined.
3. Add egg and 1/4 of the flour mixture, continue processing for a few seconds.
4. Add the rest of the flour mixture, continue processing until a single ball of dough is formed; do not over-process; once a dough-ball is formed - stop processing.
   [If mixture is too dry - add a splash of milk; if mixture is too wet - add a bit of flour]
5. Divide the dough ball to 2 equal parts, flatten each part to a disc (about 1/2 inch thick), wrap each disc in plastic-wrap, and store them in the refrigerator until use, at least 30 min.
   
3. Almond cream (guess what! still no need to clean the food processor bowl/blade! double yay!): 
1. Process almond flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until crumbs form.
2. Add egg, AP flour / corn starch and a splash of milk, and continue to process until a thick cream is formed. If mixture is too thick / clumps - add another splash of milk and continue processing some more. 
3. Transfer cream to a pastry bag (no tip needed).
4. Seal top of pastry bag (using e.g. a plastic clip) and store in the refrigerator until ready to use (can be stored safely for a couple of days this way, but make sure to refrigerate immediately, as this mixture contains a raw egg)
   
5. [At this point, you can continue to step 4 (Apples), or go to step 5 (Tartelette Crusts) then come back to step 4 - depends if you want to prep the apples first, then let them cool while prepping the crusts, or - prep the crusts first and let them freeze while prepping the apples - doesn't really matter; the important thing is to have the cooked apples cooled down to room temperature and the crusts completely frozen before proceeding to step 6]
4. Apples:
1. Peel, core and cube the apples.
2. Cook all ingredients in a small pot on low-medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, uncovered, until apples are softer (no need for them to be super soft, they will soften more in the oven).
3. Remove from heat and drain away the fluids if needed. Let cool to room temperature. 
5. Tartelette Crusts:
1. Remove dough discs from refrigerator, let them sit in room temperature for a couple of minutes.
2. Knead one of the discs for a few seconds until it's a bit softer and easier to work with.
3. On a generously-flour-dusted surface, roll the disc to a sheet about 3-4 mm thick.
4. Using a ~3 1/2 inch cookie/biscuit cutter (or small bowl), cut discs out of the dough, and place them in mini-tartelette / standard muffin pan cavities. Gently press the center of each disc to the bottom of each cavity and the circumference of each disc to the sides of each cavity. 
5. [Repeat steps 5.2 - 5.4 above with the other dough disc; if there is leftover dough - knead it and roll it again to cut a couple more discs, if desired]
6. Using a fork, puncture the bottom of each disc (to prevent air-pockets). 
7. Wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap or aluminum foil (or put it in an air-tight freezer-safe container if you have a large enough one) and store in the freezer until ready to bake (at least 1 hour). 
6. Pre-frosting assembly and baking:
1. Remove almond cream from refrigerator, let it rest a few minutes in room temperature to soften.
2. Pre-heat oven to 340F.
3. Remove pan from freezer. Fill the crusts with almond cream (not a ton - up to about ~1/3 of the crust height is enough).
4. Add a layer of the apples mixture on top of the almond cream. 
5. Sprinkle a generous amount of streusel on top of the apples. 
6. Bake tartelettes for 25-35 minutes until golden. 
7. Remove from oven and let cool down to room temperature.
7. [optional] Frosting [can be prepared while tartelettes are in the oven]:
1. Whip all frosting ingredients in a mixer with a whipping-balloon attachment until firm. 
2. Fill a pastry bag with a smooth or star tip attached. 
3. Put the pastry bag in a high glass (or keep it in the high glass or whatever vessel you probably used anyway for filling the pastry bag) and seal the top of the bag (using a plastic clip or similar). Put in the refrigerator until ready to use (while in the refrigerator, the frosting cream will further firm as the pudding powder kicks in - this will help the frosting hold its shape better after being frosted on the tartelettes). 
4. Once the baked tartelettes are cooled down: At this point, it is recommended to transfer the tartelettes to the container in which you intend to store them, and/or the serving platter on which you intend to serve them (it's easier and less messy to move around non-frosted tartelettes compared to moving around frosted tartelettes... trust me).
5. Frost each tartelette with the frosting cream (no need to use a lot of frosting on each tartelette, a small amount goes a long way, the tartelettes are super-rich as is even without any frosting).
6. [optional] Gently dust a bit of cinnamon on top of the frosting for extra decoration.
8. Enjoy! Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Highly recommend to consume within 2-3 days, after that - the crust may become soggy.