Steps for preparing the cream and apple tart with amaretti

• Start by preparing the shortcrust pastry. In a large bowl, place the flour, powdered sugar, and grated lemon zest. Mix quickly with your hands.

  Add the cold butter cut into small pieces. Using your fingertips, quickly work it into the flour until you get a crumbly mixture.
  Add the egg and blend the ingredients until they start to come together.

  Once done, transfer the dough to a work surface and compact it with your hands until you form a smooth ball.

  Flatten it with a rolling pin or your hands to a thickness of about 0.5-0.6 inches and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30-40 minutes before using.

• While the pastry is in the fridge, prepare the custard. The recipe calls for a slightly thicker custard. Being thicker, it will hold its shape better once the slice is cut.

  In a saucepan, place the sugar and sifted flour. Mix the dry ingredients with a hand whisk.
  Add the egg yolks and a small amount of milk taken from the total. Stir to combine the ingredients, then slowly add the rest of the milk, continuing to stir.

• Also add the packet of vanillin and stir until you get a liquid and lump-free mixture.
  If there are lumps, you can use a hand blender before cooking.

• Take the peel of a well-washed lemon, avoiding the white part, as it can make the cream bitter. Place the peels in the cream and turn on the heat to moderate.
  Stir continuously with a spatula until it starts to thicken.
  Once the first bubbles appear, turn off the heat and stir vigorously with a spatula.

  Add a pinch of salt to enhance the cream’s flavor and temper the taste of the eggs.
  Stir again and then, with a fork, remove all the lemon peels.
  Transfer the cream to a bowl and stir occasionally until it cools. Make sure NOT to blend it when it is cold, as it would become liquid and irrecoverable.

• Before taking the pastry out of the fridge, clean and slice the apples and drizzle them with a few drops of lemon juice.

  Now take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge. Roll it out on a work surface to a thickness of 0.18 inches, line the tart pan with the pastry, and prick the base.

  Place a pre-cut piece of parchment paper on the base and cover it with ceramic baking beads. If you don’t have them, dried beans will also work fine. Bake in a preheated static oven for 10 minutes at 350°F.

  After this time, take the tart out, remove the beans and the parchment paper.

  Crumble 3-4 amaretti on the base. Pour the cream into the pastry shell and level it with a spatula.

  Arrange the apple slices in a fan shape. Sprinkle them with the remaining amaretti and brown sugar.

  Bake your cream and apple tart again in a preheated oven at 350°F for another 20 minutes or so: when the apples start to brown, the tart will be ready.
  Let it cool completely and leave it to rest in the fridge for a few hours. The rest is necessary as it will allow the cream to set properly and the tart won’t get ruined when you cut it.

  

• The cream and apple tart can also be prepared with the Thermomix. Let’s see how to proceed with the preparations.

  Shortcrust pastry preparation:

  Put the lemon peel and sugar in the bowl: 10 sec. speed 10.

  Gather at the bottom with the spatula and add the other ingredients: 30 sec. speed 4.

  Take the shortcrust pastry, knead it quickly and create a flattened dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.

  Custard preparation:

  Put the milk and lemon peel in the bowl: heat 50°C 7 min. speed Reverse.

  Remove the lemon peels and add the other ingredients: 7 min. 90°C speed 4.

  Once ready, transfer it to a bowl, stir vigorously with a spatula from time to time until it cools down.

  Then proceed according to the traditional recipe method.