A classic French tart in which the apples are cut in small quarters, baked with custard in a tart shell and served warm.

Short crust pastry: Make the dough using a food processor. Combine the first four ingredients until the butter is smooth. Then, add the ice-cold water and egg yolk. Stop processing as soon as the dough becomes a ball. Do not overwork the dough. Remove the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust the tart mold with flour, then line it with the dough. Once you have lined the tart mold with the dough, cover the dough with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350° F oven. The beans create a weight on the dough, so it bakes evenly and doesn't puff up. This step ensures a crisp crust. Be sure to let the crust cool completely before adding the apples. The North American culinary term for this technique is "baking blind." The French culinary term is "cuire a blanc."

Filling: Sauté apples in 1 ounce of butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar until golden brown. On high heat, pour Calvados into the pan and shake to ignite and flambé. Set aside and let cool.

Mix the eggs well with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Bring the milk and cream to a boil with the vanilla extract. Pour slowly over the eggs. Mix well.

Bake the tart: Line the apples on the tart shell. Add the egg mixture and bake for about 1 hour in a preheated oven at 350° F or 325° F in a convection oven.

Let the tart cool, then gently remove it from the tart pan and serve.

You may serve the Alsatian apple tart or "tarte Alsacienne" with vanilla ice cream or Crème Anglaise.