Maple-Glazed Breakfast Apple Tarts - cream cheese

Method

• In a small bowl stir together cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
• Peel, halve, and core apples and cut into 1/4-inch slices.
• In a bowl toss apples with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• On a lightly floured surface roll 1 sheet puff pastry into a 15- by 11-inch rectangle.
• From a long side, cut four 1/3-inch-wide strips.
• From a short side, cut two 1/3-inch-wide strips.
• Set pastry strips aside.
• Halve lengthwise what remains of rectangle and put halves on a baking sheet.
• Just inside pastry rectangles' edges, brush 1/3-inch-wide borders of egg wash, reserving remaining egg wash.
• Arrange pastry strips on borders so that they are flush with edges of rectangles, trimming strips to fit.
• Spread cream-cheese mixture inside borders on rectangles and top with apples.
• On a lightly floured surface roll remaining puff-pastry sheet into a 14- by 10-inch rectangle and halve lengthwise.
• Cut several 2 1/2-inch diagonal slits down middle of each rectangle (do not cut within 1 inch of edges).
• Brush pastry borders of apple-topped tarts with some remaining egg wash and top each with 1 pastry rectangle.
• Press edges gently but firmly together to seal.
• Brush remaining egg wash over pastry tops and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tarts in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden.
• In a small saucepan simmer maple syrup 10 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/3 cup.
• Brush hot syrup glaze over warm tarts.
• Serve tarts warm or at room temperature.