French Apple Custard Tart
Adapted from 'France the Beautiful Cookbook' by the Scotto Sisters - with reduced sugar in the creamy custard filling and addition of nutmeg. Makes one large tart, 2 medium tarts or 8 tartlets. Blind-baking the pastry is done by baking the apples arranged on the pastry before adding the custard filling.
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) sugar (about ⅓ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or few drops extract
- 200 ml (7floz/¾ cup) heavy cream (30% fat) (crème fleurette in France)
Instructions
- Follow recipe steps 1-5 for this pâte sucrée/sweet pastry. (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 unbaked 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). SEE NOTES.
- 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 (about 20 minutes for tartlets) or until the top has delicious custardy brown patches.
Notes
For more on apple varieties in baking, see the market page on apples.
To Serve: There’s no need for any ice cream or cream; enjoy on its own served warm for the perfect teatime treat, dessert or even breakfast. To decorate, dust with a little icing/confectioner’s sugar, top with grapes or an edible flower.
Baking: The high temperature is intentional, giving the pastry and apples their characteristic golden, slightly scorched finish. Keep an eye on the tart and, if it's browning far too quickly, lower the oven temperature slightly rather than reducing it drastically.
Measures: Please note that all my recipes are best made using digital kitchen scales in precise metric grams. Both ounces (and cups) are given as an approximate guide.
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 178mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 522IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
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