This is for fans of both the apple tart and the custard tart. Put them both together and what do you get? A French Apple Custard Tart from Alsace, sheer bliss with a touch of grated nutmeg or cinnamon. It's so easy to make - especially if you cheat with (oh-là-là) ready-made pastry.
I made this for Christmas Eve, a very special and collaborative meal with my 'household' family this year...What a delicious and not too sweet way to end the meal. My 92 year-old Mother-in-law, who spent time in France as a teenager, thought it was simply divine. Thank you. - Jenn
French Apple Custard Tart Recipe
Scouring through my all-time favourite coffee-table book, France the Beautiful Cookbook (1989) by the Scotto Sisters (which is now well and truly covered in splatters and its tattered cover is ripped, bless it), I first made the 'Tarte aux Pommes à l'Alsacienne' and loved its scrumptious simplicity.
Over time, I adapted this French Apple Custard Tart by reducing the sugar and alternating between the cinnamon and nutmeg.
It's a real family pleaser for dessert and great at any time of year - I discovered recently that many of you love making this for Thanksgiving too!
An Egg Yolk Recipe to Save Egg Whites
Ever since I became literally 'Mad About Macarons', and was making these confections like some kind of mad woman for friends, dinner parties, our greedy selves and for the books, I found myself hunting down recipes for egg yolks.
If you're a home baker and love making Parisian macarons, financier teacakes, tuiles, lemon meringue tarts and this light chocolate mousse without cream, you'll know the eggs-act delicious problem. What do these recipes have in common? They all need egg whites, not whole eggs.
So, I need recipes that use up just the egg yolks. This one is perfect for my growing collection of egg yolk recipes: it uses 4 yolks! It's a never-ending delicious cycle.
Easy Tart Pastry Crust
This recipe is made easier if you buy ready-made shortcrust pastry. I wouldn't recommend ready-made puff pastry. If you love puff, then it's better with this quick French apple tart.
However, I urge you to make your own pâte sucrée (sweet pastry dough) if you have time. This means you can add that extra touch of vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon in the pastry shell. Even my cinnamon-avoiding husband asks for a THIRD slice. This is praise indeed -from a Frenchman, as he's careful about his dessert intake!
An Easy Way to Blind-Bake the Pastry - with Apples
Another reason I love this recipe? The classic technique of blind-baking the pastry beforehand isn't needed. Instead just lay out the apples and bake them with the pastry before adding the filling. It's a lazy way of blind-baking the tart first.
The filling couldn't be simpler: just whisk the whole lot together, pour on top of the apples then bake further until the topping looks beautifully brown and custardy.
Add a good pinch of ground nutmeg, either in the pastry base or in the filling - or both! Nutmeg is delicious with our best loved custard tarts I grew up with in Scotland. Personally, nutmeg does the toe-curling for me, giving it that je ne sais quoi to a custard tart with apples. If you prefer cinnamon, sprinkle generously like in these Portuguese Custard Tarts.
One Large Apple Custard Tart, 2 Medium Tarts or 8 Tartlets
The recipe below makes one large tart using a 28cm (11 inches) tart tin (with a removable bottom). It also makes 2x16cm (6.5 inches) tarts with one extra tartlet - handy if you're giving away one - or even 2 - as a present. Otherwise it makes enough for 8 tartlets.
I use non-stick tart tins and tart rings but if you have regular tins, then grease first with a little butter.
How to Make a French Apple Custard Tart
Recipe adapted from 'France the Beautiful Cookbook' by the Scotto Sisters - I added nutmeg and reduced the sugar in the custard filling. PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW.
What I love about this recipe is the crisp pastry and the creaminess of the custard with the apples shining through.
First make the pâte sucrée, following steps 1-5 but add a good pinch of cinnamon to the dough. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.
Roll out the pastry dough larger than the tart tin (about 3-4cm larger) and press into the tart tin or pastry ring. Chill in the fridge.
Peel the apples, cut into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter into 4 slices and arrange them evenly over the pastry.
Start from the outside and arrange the slices in the form of a flower then make a smaller 2nd layer to fill in the gaps and pour over the custard. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, using a hand whisk or fork, beat the egg yolks, sugar, nutmeg (or cinnamon), vanilla and cream.
Pour over the apples and bake for about a further 30 minutes or until the topping is deliciously custardy with typical brown patches.
How Best to Serve
We enjoy this tart on its own, simply served warm or at room temperature for the perfect teatime treat, dessert or even breakfast. If you prefer something with it, then this is good with vanilla ice cream or
- chestnut and vanilla ice cream
- no-churn plombières (candied fruit) ice cream
- light crème anglaise (French custard) infused with chai tea
- dollop of Calvados cream for adults only.
To decorate, dust with a little icing/confectioner's sugar, top with grapes or an edible flower.
French Apple Custard Tart
Equipment
Ingredients
- 275 g (10oz) sweet pastry with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2-3 apples (Golden Delicious)
- 4 medium egg yolks (organic)
- 75 g (2.5oz/ ⅓ cup) sugar (about ⅓ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or few drops extract
- 200 ml (7floz/¾ cup) crème fleurette (30% fat) (or heavy cream)
Instructions
- Follow the recipe steps 1-5 for pâte sucrée. (No need to blind bake.)Butter a 28cm/11" tart tin (no need to butter if using non-stick moulds or tart ring. Roll out the pastry dough evenly, larger than the tart tin (about 3-4cm larger) and press well into the tin. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan/gas 7).
- Peel the apples, cut into quarters and core them. Cut each quarter into 4 slices and arrange them evenly over the pastry, starting from the outside and arrange the slices in the form of a flower. Make a second smaller layer to fill in any gaps. Bake for 15 minutes. (This is a quick way to blind bake).
- Meanwhile, using a hand whisk or fork, beat the egg yolks, sugar, nutmeg (or cinnamon), vanilla and cream. Pour the custard over the apples and bake for a further 30 minutes (20-25 minutes for tartlets) or until the top has delicious custardy brown patches.
Notes
This post was originally published on 25 October 2015 but now completely updated.
Susan
We made this tart in a ten inch pan. It came out great with sweet apples and plenty of cinnamon. Left the dough in the frig overnight and it rolled beautifully in the morning. I wondered what you sprinkled on top? What is your decoration?
Jill Colonna
Hi Susan,
so happy you like the recipe. The decor is so simple - it's just grape halves and a dusting of icing/confectioner's sugar! Enjoy it x
Keith
So mine came out with a scrambled eggs texture. I would recommend cooking the mixture in a bath for the second part, and taking the temp down to 300.
By a "bath" I mean fill a larger, flat dish like a lasagna pan full of boiling water, then place the filled pie in that before baking the custard. This keeps the custard from getting hot spots that'll cook the egg too much.
Jill Colonna
That's bad luck, Keith. Sorry to hear that. I wouldn't bother giving the tart a bath: all ovens are different and think you just need to adjust to a lower temperature that suits yours. Oven temperatures in recipes are always just a guide. It's an easy recipe that doesn't need complex techniques.
Liz
I adore apple desserts, and this will be added to my baking list ASAP! It looks fabulous.
Jill Colonna
Thanks - so glad you'll make this Liz.
Tonessa West Crowe
This is fabulous! I will definitely be baking this for our annual formal Christmas Dinner party. I usually bake about 8 different desserts. One of them is a Normandy tart, but I think this will be a welcomed change. And since I am a fan, I can't wait to get your new book. Thanks for this wonderful addition!
Jill Colonna
You bake 8 desserts? They must LOVE you Tonessa. I'm delighted to hear that you'll make this for the annual Christmas party dinner. I do hope you'll share photos with us!
Cheryl Turner
Thanks so much for sharing this Jill. I think even I can do this. I'm giving it a try for Thanksgiving.
By the way, my books arrived and my customers are loving them. My baker grabbed one before I could even get them on the shelves.
Thank you,
Cheryl
Jill Colonna
I'd be so thrilled if you made this for Thanksgiving Cheryl. What a lovely compliment, thank you also about the books. So pleased you like them! I just wish I could pop into your beautiful tea salon in California myself!
Christina @ Christina's Cucina
I'm salivating right now, but can't do anything about it. Torture, you might call it. I would love to make this sans cinnamon (that's the Scottish part of me-I've been so put off with all the cinnamon in apple pies here in the US)! Lovely tarts, Jill!!
Jill Colonna
That is too funny you wanting them without cinnamon. Ever since we were married, Antoine refused cinnamon in any food and it's only now I'm adding it in and the girls are loving it. I understand how we can get carried away using too much after a while... Crossing fingers you get that oven SOON!
Jean-Pierre D
This looks sublime Jill. Like how the blind baking is done by cooking the apples first.
Jill Colonna
I love that part too Jean-Pierre. Great time management!
David
Jill - this sounds fantastic and I am definitely in an autumnal, apple mood! Thanks for the yolk recipe - it never occurred to me that this was a genre, as I usually end up with egg whites! (Time to learn to make macaroons, me thinks!)
Jill Colonna
I've made this into a genre David, since when you're as mad about macarons as we are, then we need an excuse to have too many whites! It never ends. Thanks - hope you make this soon.
Parisbreakfast
Out of eggs
Do you deliver?
Lisa of Fresh Eggs Daily
This looks delicious and since I always have a ton of fresh eggs from my chickens, I'm going to give it a try. I also shared the link on my Facebook page Fresh Eggs Daily.
Huge fan of yours, I love your macaron cookbook, I think I need to buy your second book!
Jill Colonna
Lisa, what a lovely surprise to read your lovely comment and to see you sharing this on FB. What a turnout! And with all these beautiful fresh eggs, this will be just amazing! Thanks again x