Belle's Enchanted Rose (Apple) Tarts

• 1 single-crust flaky pie dough

• 4 large crisp-tart apples, like Honeycrisp

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

• ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam

Directly from the Disney Princess Baking: 60+ Royal Treats Inspired by Your Favorite Princesses cookbook by Weldon Owen

1. Lightly spray a standard 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. 

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a round, about ⅛-inch thick. Using a 4-inch, round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible. Gather the dough scraps, press them together, roll out, and cut more rounds until you have 12 in total. Transfer each round into a muffin cup, gently pressing the dough evenly on the the bottom and side of the cup. The edge of the dough should reach just to the rim of the cup. Place the lined muffin pan in the refrigerator.

3. Stand an apple, stem-end up, on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, place it just to the side of the stem and cut straight down. Rotate the apple 180-degrees and cut for the same way on the opposite side. Cut off the remaining two sides the same way, and discard the core. There should be 4 pieces in total: two large and two small.

4. Trim the top and bottom off the 2 large pieces. Using a mandolin slicer, cut the larger pieces crosswise into very thin half-moons (about 1/16-inch). Cut the smaller apple pieces lengthwise into half-moons as well. Repeat with remaining apple slices. Place slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Gently toss to coat.

5. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and jam, and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over the apple slices, and mix gently to coat evenly, being careful not to break the slices.

6. Transfer about ⅓ of the apples to a microwave-safe plate, spread in an even layer, and microwave for 1 minute to make them pliable. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking tray, lined with aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining apples in two batches.

7. Preheat oven to 375℉. To make each apple rose, arrange about 12 apple slices, end-to-end, in a straight line, with each slice overlapping about halfway. The line of apple slices should be about 12 inches long. Starting at the end of the first slice that was placed, gently roll-up the apple slices, taking care to keep the bottom aligned. Carefully transfer the apple "rose" to the center of a pastry-lined muffin cup, apple skin side up. Fill in around the edges of the rose with additional slices. Repeat with the remaining apples until all muffin cups are filled.

8. Bake the tarts for 35-40 minutes, or until the pie dough is golden brown and the apples are tender. Let the tarts cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing them from the muffin cups. Serve warm (with ice cream!) or at room temperature.