Apple Cream Tart

    Here's a really good apple dessert, served warm with softly whipped cream or ice cream or even at room temperature.  I LOVE apple pie, so apple tarts and other variations are welcome at my house!  I've never actually had an apple cream tart before but, after seeing recipes in a couple of my Italian cookbooks, I thought I'd give it a try.  This one is slightly adapted from Ciao Italia Pronto by Mary Ann Esposito.   I added a couple egg yolks to the crust and changed the arranging of the apples....other than that....as written. 



Apple Cream Tart

crust:
2 cups flour
2 tblsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks

filling:
3 medium-size Golden Delicious apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a 9" round cake pan by spraying it with cooking spray, then cutting a piece of parchment paper large enough to lay down into the pan with the ends hanging over the sides.  (these will be used to remove the tart to a serving plate later....you can just serve it from the pan if you want) Spray the lined pan and set aside.
    Place the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture is coarse.  Add the egg yolks and pulse until it starts to hold together when squeezed between your fingers.  Pat the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
   

    Slice the apples thinly cross-wise, being careful to keep the quartered sections together.  Arrange the apples on the crust, laying each section down and gently pressing to fan them out a bit.

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and sprinkle the entire amount evenly over the apples.

(It will seem like a lot, but this mixture is flavoring the apples and the custard that will be poured over the top later.)

    Bake the tart for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl with the heavy cream.  Remove the pan from the oven and pour the egg and cream mixture evenly over the apples.  Bake for another 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the tart , if desired, or just cut into wedges and serve right from the pan.