Italian Apple Cream Tart

It’s a fairly simple dessert – store-bought puff-pastry as a crust, a thick, sweet pastry cream filling, and a topping of sliced apples. But somehow the combination really got me. I was skeptical of the technique for the pastry cream – just throw it all in a pan and whisk vigorously? No tempering of eggs? How much potato starch? But I followed the instructions and I actually loved how it came out. It was thicker and less rich tasting than typical pastry creams, and it worked perfectly in the tart.

Apple Cream Tart

Serves 6-8.

• 1/4 c. flour (35g)
• 1/4 c. potato starch (35g)
• 3/4 c. sugar (160g) + 2 TBS sugar, divided
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 2 c. whole milk
• 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 apples (I used Honeycrisp)
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 piece store-bought puff pastry, thawed

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together the flour, potato starch, and 3/4 c. sugar until lump free. Whisk in the egg yolks and egg, one at a time, then slowly whisk in the milk, incorporating a little at a time. Beat until the liquid is smooth and without any lumps. Add the vanilla bean or the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate. Heat the liquid over low heat, whisking vigorously the whole time, until the custard thickens to a spoonable consistency, then immediately remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 365°F. Wash and core the apples, then thinly slice them and toss with the lemon juice and remaining 2 TBS of sugar to coat the apples. Let sit 10 minutes.
3. Roll out the puff pastry to an even thickness and a width of about 10 inches by 12 inches. Cut a 2 inch strip off to make a 10 inch square. Press the 10 inch square of crust into an 8×8 baking pan, using the extra to press partway up the sides of the pan. Spoon the custard into this as a filling, then top with a layer of apple slices. Cut the 2 inch strip of pastry into 4-6 thin strips and use to criss-cross the top of the tart.
4. Bake the tart for 50-60 minutes, until the custard is set, and the pastry is golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan and serving.