Apple Sauce Tart

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Step 2

   Coarsely chop apples and place in a large heavy saucepan. Cover tightly and cook very slowly for about 20 minutes, until the apples have steamed in their juices and are tender.

3. Step 3

   While the apples are cooking, line a nine-inch straight-sided tart pan with the pastry, prick it and line it with foil weighted with dry beans or pastry weights. Bake six minutes, until the pastry looks like parchment. Remove the foil and bake about five minutes longer, until the pastry just begins to color. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

4. Step 4

   Force the apples through a sieve or a food mill. You should have two cups of apple sauce. Add butter to the hot apple sauce bit by bit, then add lemon rind, season with nutmeg and sweeten, using more or less sugar to make an apple sauce that is pleasantly sweet but not cloying. Add the vanilla.

5. Step 5

   Beat the eggs in until beginning to froth and stir into the apple sauce. Pour into prepared tart pan and bake about 45 minutes, until the custard has set. Serve with whipped cream.