an apple a day keeps the doctor away. [apple tart w. custard & orange-apricot glaze]

I still had 5 Granny Smith apples leftover after making apple pie, so I decided to make use of them. Of course, I could have eaten them plain and been healthy, but I’ve never been fond of green apples. However, I do enjoy them when baked, since their sourness is typically masked by other flavors (such as cinnamon and sugar).

I searched the Food Network website and decided on Paula Deen’s five-star apple tart recipe. As I’ve said many times before, I knew this dessert was bound to be delicious, since Paula is the baking queen. Sure enough, the tart was delectable.

Initially, I was unsure about pairing cinnamon-sugar coated apples (recipe did not call to season apples) with the orange juice and apricot preserves glaze. But my skepticism was erased after taking a perfect first bite of crust, apple, custard, glaze and whipped cream. The sweet flavors of the warm tart melted in my mouth.

Next time I make this dessert, I would pre-cook the apples in cinnamon and sugar (like I did for the apple pie) since they still had somewhat of a crunchy texture after baking. Nonetheless, the apples paired beautifully with the buttery shortbread crust and sweet glaze. With all the components combined, this tart was a truly delicious dish—especially when topped with a dollop of fluffy homemade whipped cream.

Crust recipe:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 tbsp. light sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place flour, butter and sour cream in food processor and pulse to combine. When the dough has formed a ball, pat with lightly floured hands into the bottom and sides of an ungreased tart pan with a removable bottom and 1/2 -inch sides, or a round au gratin dish. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Let cool while preparing the filling.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Apple filling recipe:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. sugar

Directions:

Peel and slice apples then place in bowl. Coat and toss apple slices in cinnamon and sugar. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles on top of crust, until it’s completely covered. Overfill the crust, as apples will shrink during cooking.

Custard filling recipe:

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

Directions:

Combine the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar and flour and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the apples. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 35 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees, until the custard sets and is pale golden in color. Cover with an aluminum foil tent if the crust gets too dark. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool. When cool, remove from pan.

Glaze recipe:

1/2 cup apricot preserves or jelly

2 tbsp. Simply Orange orange juice, pulp-free

Homemade whipped cream, for garnish

Directions:

Combine the preserves or jelly and orange juice. Spread with a pastry brush over the top of the warm tart. Serve the tart warm, at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with whipped cream and mint, if desired.