Apple Tart + Spiced Pastry Cream + Cinnamon Shortbread

This decked out apple tart consists of a cinnamon shortbread tart shell, filled with a pastry cream spiked with autumn spices and topped with sliced apples. Every bite literally brings back poignant memories of Thanksgiving past.
This recipe contains , flour, butter, sugar (brown), sugar (powdered, confectioners), salt, cinnamon, water, , milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, salt, sugar (brown), vanilla extract, eggs, cornstarch, apples, marmalade (apple)
8 Servings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- for the cinnamon shortbread
- 2 cup(s) flour
- 1 tbsp. butter, also 2 sticks or 16 tablespoons
- 3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cinnamon
- 2 - 3 tbsp. ice water, add one tablespoon at a time pulsing after every addition
- for the spiced pastry cream
- 2 1/4 cup(s) milk, divided 1 3/4 cup + 1/2 cup
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2/3 cup(s) brown sugar, divided 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup
- 1 tsp. drip of vanilla extract, not too much or it'll be overpowering
- 6 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup(s) cornstarch
- 1 - 2 apples for arranging on the top
- apple marmalade or calvados to brush the top
Instructions:
- 1. Just so the food processor can process your dough easier, cut up the butter into cubes before putting them in the freezer to chill.
- 2. In a food processor, dump in the dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, salt, and cinnamon) for your crust.
- 3. Pulse it to get rid of any large lumps.
- 4. Then, add your chilled butter and let it run until the mixture resembles fine to coarse sand.
- 5. Drizzle in your ice cold water a tablespoon at a time until a nice dough comes together. You're looking for a dough that isn't too wet, but comes together when you squeeze it in your hands.
- 6. Bring the dough together, trying to knead as little as possible and wrap it in plastic to rest in the fridge.
- 7. Rest for twenty minutes.
- 8. Prepare the pastry cream.
- 9. For the allspice grind up a few seeds in a spice grinder.
- 10. Grate the nutmeg on a microplane.
- 11. Add the allspice, nutmeg, ground ginger, salt, and cinnamon to a saucepan.
- 12. Along with the spices add 1 3/4 cup of milk, a 1/3 cup of brown sugar, and the vanilla.
- 13. Whisk and put it on medium to come up to a simmer.
- 14. Once it comes up to a simmer, cut the heat and set it aside.
- 15. Separate six egg yolks, add to it the cornstarch, a 1/2 cup of milk, and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar.
- 16. Whisk till smooth.
- 17. Now in one hand pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, and with the other whisk constantly so the eggs don't curdle.
- 18. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens, about a minute.
- 19. Keep whisking it to get rid of any lumps.
- 20. Cover it with plastic wrap remembering to touch the plastic to the cream so it doesn't form a skin.
- 21. Refrigerate until needed. It'll get thicker as it cools.
- 22. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- 23. Butter a 10 inch tart pan preferably with a removable bottom.
- 24. Press the dough into the pan and work it so it covers the bottom evenly and runs up the sides.
- 25. Dock the bottom of the crust and cover it with a buttered sheet of foil.
- 26. Fill the pan with baking beans or uncooked rice.
- 27. Blind bake for ten minutes, pour the beans out (you can still reuse them) and remove the foil.
- 28. Bake it again for another 5-10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
- 29. Let the shortbread cool for 15 minutes on the counter.
- 30. Fill a pastry bag with the pastry cream.
- 31. Unmold the tart shell.
- 32. Pipe your cream circularly starting from the center out.
- 33. Refrigerate it so it sets.
- 34. Core and thinly slice some apples (whichever variety you want).
- 35. Toss the sliced apples in a bowl of lemon juice and water so they don't oxidize.
- 36. Finally, line the tart with the apple slices. Keep going around until you've completely lined the perimeter.
- 37. Then the next spiral go around the other way.
- 38. Lastly garnish with the prettiest apple slices sticking up from the center.
- 39. Chill.
- 40. When you're ready to serve brush the top with calvados or apple marmalade to make the top shine.
- 41. All that's left to do is enjoy! And as always, Chow!