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1
Walnuts--line a plate with foil; put the walnuts, sugar, and salt in a small skillet and heat over med-high heat.
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2
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar starts to melt but is not yet syrupy and the walnuts start to smell toasty.
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3
Don't let the sugar caramelize.
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4
Pour the nuts onto the plate, sprinkle with the cinnamon, and let cool completely.
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5
Put the nuts in a heavy plastic bag and crush them with something heavy.
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6
You want small pieces with a little bit of powder.
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7
Taste and add more salt or cinnamon to taste.
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8
Croustades--heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over med-high heat until sizzling; then add in the apples and toss to coat.
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9
Saute until a lot of the moisture has steamed off and the apples start to soften and brown, 8-10 minutes.
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10
Add the honey, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; toss to blend.
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11
Taste and add more of any of these flavorings if you like; set aside to cool.
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12
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle.
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13
Cut into six 5x5 inch squares, then trim off the corners of each square to make a rough round.
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14
Preheat the oven to 400.
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15
Arrange the pastry rounds on a baking sheet and prick each one at 1/2-inch intervals.
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16
Portion the apple filling evenly among the pastry rounds, leaving about a 1/2 inch border of pastry.
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17
Wet the border with a little water and loosely pleat it to create an edge that embraces the apples; the pastry won't cover the center of the apple filling.
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18
Brush the edge with some of the melted butter.
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19
Bake the croustades until the pastry is pale gold and set, about 18 minutes; brush a little more butter onto the pastry and continue baking until the pastry is puffed and a rich golden brown on the border and undersides (lift one to check), another 5-7 minutes.
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20
Slide the croustades onto a cooling rack.
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21
Sprinkle each one with a heaping tablespoon of Cinnamon-Sugar Walnuts and let cool for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.
