Caramel Apple Shortbread Tarts

For the prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Spray two 12-cup mini muffin pans (or one 24-cup mini muffin pan) with baking spray. Rub each cup with a piece of paper toweling to make sure they’re thoroughly coated, including the top edges.

For the apple filling:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir well to combine.
2. Add the diced apples and stir again until well-coated. Add the butter to the apple mixture and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir to combine.
3. Return the apples to the microwave for 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the shortbread tarts:

1. Place the soft butter and powdered sugar in a medium-size bowl and stir until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and stir until nice and smooth.
3. Add the flour and salt and stir, turning the bowl and stirring from the bottom up. (At first the dough will be very shaggy and dry, but after a minute or so it will come together nicely.) Just keep stirring until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough comes together in a big clump.
4. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions. You can eyeball this or use a digital scale. I weigh the dough then divide by 24. It usually comes out to 25-26g each.
5. Give each portion of dough a little squeeze and hold it in your hand for about 10 seconds (to compress and warm the dough a bit) then roll it between your palms into round balls.
6. Place each ball into one of the prepared mini muffin cups and flatten each one gently with your fingers.
7. Use a teaspoon or ½ tablespoon measuring spoon (see the pictures above in the post), to make an indention in the center of each flattened ball. (I like to do about 3 balls at a time: squeeze 3 portions, roll them into balls then make the wells. This keeps the dough from drying out and cracking when you make the little wells.) If the dough cracks at the edges, just push it together with your fingers while the spoon is still in the center.
8. Place the pan(s) in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the outer edges of each tart are a medium-golden brown. (Don't worry the pretty "well" that you made before baking will have puffed up.)
9. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and immediately reinforce the center wells by gently pushing in again with the same measuring spoon. You can make the wells as shallow or deep as you’d like at this point. I like to make them fairly deep to hold more of the apple filling.
10. Allow the tart shells to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove by inserting a small sharp knife into the center of each shell and pulling upward. Cool completely on a cooling rack before filling and adding the caramel drizzle.
11. Using a spoon fill each well with a rounded teaspoon of the apple filling.

For the caramel drizzle:

1. Combine the caramels and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on high power for 30-40 seconds or until the caramels have melted. Stir to combine then immediately drizzle the apple tarts in a back-and-forth motion with the caramel. If the caramel mixture thickens a bit before you’re finished with the drizzle, just rewarm it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds then stir and continue.
2. Serve (or gift) and enjoy! (The caramel will take about 10 minutes to cool and set up.)

Storage and make-ahead instructions:

1. These tarts keep well at room temperature for 8-10 hours. If you want to make them ahead, just keep the tart shells and the apple mixture separate until an hour or two before serving. Fill the shells then prepare the caramel and finish with the drizzle.