Baked Custard Tart With Spiced Apple Recipes

BAKED APPLE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Melt butter (or margarine) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple slices and saute for 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 1 minute longer.
• Reduce heat to low, uncover and let apples cook until light brown (3-5 minutes). Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.
• Butter 6 custard cups (or butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish).
• In a bowl, whisk eggs until thick. Add sugar and salt and beat well.
• Blend in milk (or half and half) and vanilla.
• Pour custard into prepared custard cups.
• Set custard cups into large shallow baking pan.
• Add enough boiling water to pan so water comes up halfway up sides of cups.
• Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center of custard comes clean. (If using the casserole dish bake for 1 1/2 hours).
• Remove cups from water and let cool to room temperature.
• Top each custard with 4 (reserved) overlapping apple slices.
• Refrigerate until cold or overnight.
• Sprinkle with nutmeg before serving.

APPLE CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Prick the bottom of the shell and chill for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Line the unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• Fill tart pan with pie weights or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface.
• Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly browned.
• Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack.
• In a small saucepan heat the apricot preserves until boiling.
• Remove from heat and strain to get rid of lumps. Add the Cognac
• When cool, spread a thin layer of warm apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the tart.
• Let the glaze dry between 20 - 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl whisk the flour and sugar together.
• Mix in the eggs and stir with a wooden spoon to make a smooth paste.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half until it just starts to boil and the cream foams up.
• Remove from heat and gradually whisk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly.
• Whisk in the Apple Brandy.
• Add vanilla now and set this mixture aside while you prepare the apples.
• Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar.
• Add the apples and sauté until they begin to soften, approximately 5 - 10 minutes. Set the cooked apples aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Arrange the apple wedges in concentric circles on top of the cooled and glazed tart shell. Carefully pour the custard over the apples to just below the top of the tart pan
• Sprinkle lightly with the Cinnamon Sugar.
• Place tart pan on a larger baking sheet to make it easier to remove from oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the custard has set.
• Place the tart under the broiler in the oven just long enough to caramelize the sugar. To prevent the edges of the tart shell from over-browning, you can cover them with a thin piece of aluminum foil or pie shields.
• Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

COUNTRY APPLE TART WITH SPICED BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and process, using on/off turns, until dough comes together in large moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Cover with plastic; chill 20 minutes.
• Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll out 1 dough piece on generously floured surface to 10 1/2-inch round. Roll dough up on rolling pin and transfer to pan. Press dough round into bottom of pan, patching any cracks. Divide second dough piece into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece between palms and generously floured surface to 7-inch rope. Place dough ropes end to end to form 1 continuous ring along bottom edge of pan. Press dough ring firmly up sides of pan, forming 1 3/4-inch-high sides. Press dough seams together to seal. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust just until set and very light golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Cool.
• For apples:
• Position 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spray 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Toss apples with butter and lemon juice in very large bowl. Arrange in single layer on sheets, leaving spaces between apples. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over apples on each sheet. Bake until apples are tender and golden brown, turning apples occasionally and rotating pans between lower and higher racks, about 40 minutes. Cool. (Crust and apples can be made 1 day ahead. Cover crust and store at room temperature. Place apples in bowl. Cover; refrigerate.)
• Place pan with crust on clean baking sheet. Arrange apple wedges close together, standing on short ends, in concentric circles in crust.
• For spiced brown butter:
• Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter; add bean. Add cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick. Cook over low heat until butter turns golden brown and spices flavor butter, adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning and stirring frequently, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs, sugar, flour, and salt to blend in medium bowl. Strain spiced brown butter mixture into egg mixture; whisk to blend. Reserve vanilla bean, star anise, and cinnamon stick; discard cloves. Slowly pour egg mixture over apples in crust. Bake until egg mixture is set, puffed and light golden and apples are deep golden brown, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool on rack at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Release pan sides. Transfer tart to platter. Garnish tart with reserved vanilla bean, star anise, and cinnamon stick, if desired. Serve tart slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
• Brown star-shaped seed pods available at Asian markets and specialty foods stores and in the spice section of some supermarkets.