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the custard: in a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and
sugar until combined and the mixture becomes light yellow in
color. Whisk in the flour and beat until smooth.
In a
large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the milk. Scrape
the seeds from the vanilla pod into the milk, then add the
vanilla bean. Heat the milk until it just begins to boil.
Remove milk from heat. Slowly pour half the milk into the
egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the egg yolk
mixture back into the milk saucepan and return to the heat.
Cook
the custard over medium heat until it just begins to thicken,
about 2 minutes. Remove the custard from the heat and pour
through a strainer into a bowl. Stir in the cheese and let
cool. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until
service.
Next
prepare the pastry. Heat oven to 400°. Place hazelnuts
in a layer on a cookie sheet. Toast hazelnuts in oven until
golden, about 8 minutes. Remove hazelnuts from oven and place
on a kitchen towel. Cover towel, and rub hazelnuts back and
forth to remove the skins. Let them cool, then finely chop.
In a
large bowl, combine the flour, cake flour, sugar and salt.
Using a pastry cutter, blend in the butter and Crisco. Cut
the mixture until the pieces are the size of peas. Using a
fork, blend in enough of the ice water so that the dough begins
to form a ball. Add ¼ cup of toasted hazelnuts to dough. Using
your hands, gently form the dough into one ball. Place the
dough in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour
before using.
Heat
oven to 400° again. Remove the dough from the refrigerator
and cut in half. Roll out pastry until it is about 1/8" thick.
Using roller, lift pastry onto tart pan. Gently form pastry
in tart pan and trim off excess around edges.
Bake
the tart shell in the oven until the edges just start to brown,
about 10 minutes. Remove the tart shell from the oven and
place on a rack to cool.
Heat
butter, brown sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium
heat. Add the apple slices and cook, covered, until the apples
are tender but still firm, about 6 minutes. Remove the apples
from the pan and place in a bowl.
Heat
oven to 400 . Spoon a layer of the pastry cream over the bottom
of the tart shell. Arrange the apple slices on top of the
pastry cream in a circle pattern. Bake the tart in the oven
for 10 minutes or until the edges of the tart are golden.
Remove tart from oven and let cool on a rack for at least
10 minutes before serving.
To serve,
cut a wedge of apple tart and place on a plate. Add a scoop
of vanilla ice cream on the side.
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