Apple Tarts With Vanilla Ice Cream Recipes

Steps:

• To prepare the ice cream, scald the milk with one-half vanilla bean in a small saucepan.
• Whip the egg yolks with sugar until they are pale yellow. Pour the scalded milk mixture slowly over the eggs, beating constantly. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan, and cook over low heat for four or five minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Do not boil!
• Remove from heat and cool. Add to an ice cream machine and follow directions to freeze.
• To prepare caramel walnuts, combine sugar, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup is golden caramel in color. Turn off heat, stir in nuts, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a sheet of wax paper or a buttered cookie sheet.
• For the tart, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a cookie sheet. Fold phyllo into approximately a 7-inch square. Cut out a 6- or 7-inch circle from the phyllo. Discard scraps.
• Cut the apple in half from stem to blossom end. With flat side down, cut apple into thin-as-possible slices. Layer slices on the phyllo, starting from the outside and working toward the middle. Sprinkle with the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon mixture, and place butter in the middle.
• Transfer the tart to a cookie sheet, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tart is nicely browned and the sugar is glazed.
• Serve with slightly softened vanilla ice cream and the caramel walnuts.

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Peel apples, reserving skins. Stir together water and 6 tablespoons sugar in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add pod. Add reserved apple skins and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Pour through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids.
• Roll out 1 pastry sheet into a 10-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then cut in half and transfer to 1 of baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, transferring to second baking sheet.
• Halve apples lengthwise, then core with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon and cut crosswise into very thin slices (1/8 inch thick or less), keeping apple halves intact. Fan apple slices slightly, keeping apple shape, then arrange 3 halves in a row on each piece of pastry, leaving a 2/3-inch border on all sides.
• Brush border lightly with syrup and fold over about 1/3 inch to touch edges of apples. Crimp edges with a fork, then brush apples and edges of pastry with syrup (reserve remaining syrup). Brush apples completely with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tarts in upper and lower thirds of oven 20 minutes, then switch position of sheets and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake tarts until edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. (If pastry edges aren't browning evenly, rotate tarts 180 degrees on sheets halfway through baking.)
• While tarts bake, boil remaining syrup over moderate heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Let tarts stand 5 minutes, then brush warm apples with remaining syrup.