Apple Pie Tarts with Puffed Barley Topping

Ingredients

3 apples thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)

1 cup pearled barley

oil for fryer

Cinnamon mixed with sugar for seasoning

Caramel sauce

Directions

Soak barley in water overnight. Put in a dehydrator until you start to see the little sprouts come out. Dehydrate one more time, then powder it. Then use it as a partial substitution for flour in your favorite pastry dough recipe.

Line large ramekins or tarte pans with pastry dough.

Overcook the barley. Once it's mushy, rinse it. Spread on cookie sheet and dehydrate in the oven at 150 degrees for several hours. Drop dried barley into oil to fry. Once it floats to the top, it's done (approximately 1 minute). Pull it out of oil and spread onto paper towels. Season with cinnamon and sugar.

Put apples in bowl, sprinkle with salt, cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well to coat apples.

Fill ramekins (or tarte pans) with apple filling. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until crust is browned, and apples look glazed. Top each pie with puffed barley and a little more caramel sauce. Enjoy!