0 Back from Seattle and an Apple Custard Tart

Here's another great recipe from Emily Luchetti (from her 1991 Stars Desserts cookbook). The custard filling keeps the apples nice and moist. I used Washington State granny smith apples.

Apple Custard Tart
(from "Stars Desserts" by Emily Luchetti)

1 egg white
1 pre-baked 9-inch tart shell (I used this sweet tart dough)

1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 or 4 apples, juicy & not too firm variety, peeled & sliced 1/16 inch thick



Preheat oven to 325F.

Lightly beat egg white and brush a thin coat on the bottom of your pre-baked tart shell. Bake for 5 minutes. This helps to "seal" your tart crust which will keep it from getting overly soggy from the filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg, egg yolks, and sugar. Stir in cream, cinnamon and salt. Set aside custard filling.

Arrange apple slices in the tart shell in a circular pattern. Carefully pour custard over the apples until tart is full. (You may have extra custard depending on the depth of your shell.)

Bake at 325F for 15 minutes. Using a large spoon or spatula, very gently press down the apples so they remain covered in custard. Take care not to disturb the pattern of your apples. Bake the tart for an additional 15-20 minutes until the custard is set but still a bit wiggly in the center.

Let tart cool to room temperature before serving.


~.~ Seattle ~.~



Our trip to Seattle was wonderful. Luckily the aberrant snowstorm was long gone and we could see the city on foot. I’m a wimpy California girl so I found the Seattle weather a bit cold, but it’s nothing I couldn’t get used to (or that a steaming latte couldn’t cure!). I don’t do restaurant reviews so I’ll just say that we had some great meals and some not so great. But I want to mention a few places.

My favorite treat was Top Pot doughnuts. Most people will judge a doughnut shop by their raised doughnuts but I prefer glazed old fashioned. I really liked it but my husband thought the glaze was a bit too sweet. I will definitely try other flavors the next time I visit Seattle.

Our favorite dinner was at Lark, a small plates restaurant in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. I wish we could’ve tried everything on the menu, but two people can only eat so much in one sitting. Our favorite dish was the vanilla salted Georgia prawns with citrus endive salad. For dessert we ordered the quince tarte tatin and the chocolate madeleines with chocolate sauce. I was expecting 3 or 4 regular sized madeleines, but instead we were presented with 24 freshly baked, still hot from the oven, miniature madeleines! What a delicious ending to a delicious meal!


And finally, we walked the 2 miles from our downtown hotel up to Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill. The view was truly amazing.