Custard Tart Recipe

Make dough

In a bowl or food processor, combine 1.75 cups flour, 2 tsp granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Add 3/4 cup cold cubed butter and pulse or cut with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.

Bind and chill

Mix 1 egg yolk with 3 tablespoons ice water; drizzle into the flour-butter mixture a tablespoon at a time, mixing until dough just comes together. Do not overwork. Gather into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 45 minutes (up to 2 days).

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8" thickness and fit into a 9" (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Trim excess. Dock the bottom with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, brush the cavity lightly with 1 tsp melted butter, then return and bake 8–10 minutes more until edges are golden. Cool slightly.

Cook apples

Combine 3 cups chopped sweet apples, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft.

Reduce to molasses

Remove the lid and increase heat to medium-high. Mash lightly with a potato masher and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and reduces to about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, about 15–20 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing solids to extract liquid; reserve the strained solids for the blackened apple puree if desired. Cool. This is your apple molasses.

Caramelize apples

Heat 1 tbsp unsalted butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Add 2 cups quartered tart apples and 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Cook without stirring for 2–3 minutes to develop a golden-brown surface, then stir and continue until edges show well-browned (blackened) spots, 6–8 minutes total. The goal is deep color and concentrated flavor—do not burn to ash.

Finish puree

Add 2 tbsp of the prepared apple molasses and 1/8 tsp salt to the pan, toss to coat and heat through 1 minute. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until very smooth. If you reserved solids from the molasses step, you may add them in now for extra apple depth. Taste and adjust salt or molasses. Let cool to room temperature.

Warm dairy

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) if it isn't already. In a saucepan, warm 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt over medium heat until just steaming (do not boil).

Mix eggs and sugar

Whisk together 3 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch in a bowl until smooth and slightly pale.

Temper and combine

Slowly pour one-third of the warm milk mixture into the egg-sugar mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (about 2–3 minutes). Do not let it scramble. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Assemble custard

Stir 2–3 tablespoons of the blackened apple puree into the custard base to create a marbled apple note (reserve the rest for swirls/topping). If you prefer a uniformly flavored custard, whisk in 2 tablespoons apple molasses instead. Pour custard into the pre-baked tart shell until about 1/8" below the rim.

Bake in water bath

Place the filled tart pan in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the tart pan sides (careful). Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until the custard is set at the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center. Remove tart from water bath and cool on a rack 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 2 hours to fully set.

Top and caramelize (optional)

Before serving, brush the crust rim with the remaining teaspoon of melted butter. Spoon a few teaspoons of the reserved blackened apple puree on top of the chilled custard in an attractive pattern; use the tip of a knife to create gentle swirls. If desired, sprinkle a light dusting of confectioners' sugar and, using a kitchen torch, briefly caramelize spots of the puree for extra char and gloss (keep torch moving).

Slice and serve

Remove the tart from the pan, slice into 8 pieces, and serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days.