Apple Flan with Quatre Épices
- Kid-friendly
- Peanut free
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
This cream-filled tart, flavoured with quatre épices (meaning "four spices," a classical French mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves), is topped with tender caramelized apple slices.
Ingredients
- 3 large baking apples, such as Golden Delicious (1-1/4 lb/625 g)
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
- Pastry:
- 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) whipping cream
- Pastry Cream:
- 1 cup (250 mL) milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each ground nutmeg and ginger
- Pinch cloves
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
- 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
Preparation
Pastry: In bowl, whisk flour, sugar and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Drizzle with cream, tossing with fork until dough clumps together. Turn out onto work surface. Form into smooth ball; flatten into disc. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
Let dough stand at room temperature until softened enough to roll out, about 20 minutes. On lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick circle; fit into 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edge to ½-inch (1 cm) overhang; fold inside and press to adhere. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prick pastry bottom with fork; line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in centre of 400°F (200°C) oven just until edge starts to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake until golden all over, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.
Pastry Cream: In small saucepan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge. Meanwhile, in heatproof bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves until pale and slightly thickened. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return to saucepan; cook over medium heat, whisking, until bubbling and mounds on spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to clean bowl. Place plastic wrap on surface; refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
Peel and core apples; slice into thin wedges. Toss with lemon juice and set aside.
In large skillet, melt half each of the butter and sugar over medium-high heat; sauté half of the apples until tender, golden and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining butter, sugar and apples. Let cool completely. Drain apples, reserving liquid.
Spoon pastry cream into pie shell, smoothing top. Starting at edge, arrange apple slices in overlapping concentric circles on top.
In small skillet or saucepan, bring reserved liquid to boil. Boil until syrupy and dark golden, about 2 minutes; brush over tart. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)
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