CARAMEL APPLE TART

Servings: 10 Start to finish: 2 hours 45 minutes (Active time: 45 minutes) Vanilla Tart Dough (see recipe) Caramel Pastry Cream (see recipe) 4 prepared oatmeal cookies, crumbled 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar, or as needed Caramelized Apples (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare vanilla tart dough and, once well-chilled, remove from the refrigerator to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thick, then transfer it to a 10-inch tart pan. Gently press the dough into the pan (the dough is fragile, but any cracks or tears can be pressed back together or patched with excess dough), and trim the edges. Use a fork to prick the dough all over, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Line the chilled crust with lightly oiled parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Partially blind bake the crust until it is a matte, pale golden color, 15 to 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 F. Remove the weights and parchment and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove the crust from the oven and place it on a rack until completely cooled.

Transfer the cooled pastry cream to a bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon until it is creamy, about 1 minute. Fill the cooled pan with the pastry cream and spread it using an offset spatula.

In a small bowl, toss the oatmeal cookie pieces in the confectioners’ sugar until lightly coated. Set aside.

Arrange the apple pieces, allowing excess syrup to drip off as you go, onto the top of the tart until the cream is completely covered. Sprinkle with oatmeal cookie pieces and serve at once.