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 first on the pastry before adding the custard filling.
275g (10oz)sweet pastry with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-3apples(Golden Delicious)
4mediumegg yolks(organic)
75g (2.5oz/ ⅓ cup)sugar(about ⅓ cup)
¼teaspoonground nutmeg or cinnamon
¼teaspoonvanilla powder or few drops extract
200ml (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/200°C fan/425°F (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.
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 a further 30 minutes (20-25 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.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.
Keyword apple custard tart, apple tart, custard tart, egg yolk recipes, French apple tart