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5.0 from 15 votes

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 first on the pastry before adding the custard filling.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 275 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.