Spring and summer desserts tend to lean toward fruit and lighter flavours, like in this apple and vanilla custard tart from Vancouver's famed baker Thomas Haas. This makes eating an apple a day so much easier.
Pate Brisee (dough)
Mix flour, salt and sugar together.
Place half of the flour in a mixer and mix with a paddle on slow speed while adding the butter chunks piece by piece.
Once a smooth dough has formed, add remaining flour and water and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
Dust the dough with flour, wrap in plastic wrap, keep overnight.
Vanilla custard
In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, cornstarch and 1/2 of the sugar.
In a medium pot over medium heat, heat milk and remaining sugar to above 85°F.
Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape vanilla seeds into milk mixture. Temper hot milk into yolk mixture while whisking.
Return mixture to pot and cook until a custard forms.
Whisk in butter.
Set aside.
Assembly
Roll the dough as desired and cut out 8 evenly sized pieces.
Spread vanilla custard evenly with an offset spatula.
Preheat oven to 330 F.
Fan out the thinly cut apples in a circle and brush each layer with butter. Give entire galette a light brush with lemon juice and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until pastry is golden brown and apples are soft.
- Yield:
- 8 Servings
