Tarte aux pommes de Courmayeur à la farine jaune - Testing

From Madeline Kammans' Savoie, pg 366

1 - The Granny Smith apples didn't "start to collapse into the pastry" and the pastry started to get too browned. Also, the pastry split on one side during the baking, and I didn't try to patch it. I poured in the custard and it filled the shell past the split and poured under the shell so that it baked between the pie shell and the pie plate. As for the corn flour, I think it's to give the pastry more of a shortbread texture, more tender. It's a good pastry recipe!

In general the pie was a success but wasn't at the same time. The apples didn't collapse but remained firm and against the soft custard were not interesting but a distraction. And there was a little something that didn't see quite right, possible the brandy, but could also have been the buckwheat honey - using a milder honey might work better.

For the Pastry:

1/2 cup (4oz/114gr) butter plus 1 Tbsp.

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp marc/brandy

1/2 cup superfine corn flour

1 1/2 cups flour

For the Filling:

2 Tbsps. (28g) butter

8 apples (680g?), pref Gravenstein, Rome Beauty or Cortland (Subst. Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" thick slices

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsps. (63g) honey

2-3 Tbsps. marc/brandy

Pinch of salt

1. Prepare the pastry as described on page 365 using 1/2 cup butter.
2. Butter a 10" springform cake pan with the Tbsp of butter. Roll the pastry between the layers of plastic into a 1/6" thick circle that fits into the pan. Remove the top layer of plastic and invert the pastry into the pan. With the plastic still on, fit the pastry well into the pan. Remove the plastic and build a small edge. If you have too much pastry, make a few cookies with the remainder. Should the pastry stick to the plastic, your dough is too warm; put the pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
3. To prepare the filling; heat the butter in a large skillet. 
4. Sauté the apples just a few minutes in the hot butter, cool them completely and transfer to the pastry. 
5. Bake in a preheated 350F oven approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the apples are deeply cooked and start collapsing into the pastry. 
6. Beat the egg, egg yolk, heavy cream, and honey, dilute with the marc/brandy, and slowly pour over the apples, forcing the custard to flow between the apples with the tip of a parer. 
7. Finish baking until the custard is set, or another 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and serve the same day. Should you have access to true unpasteurized creme fraiche, not the fabricated product, serve a dish of it with the pie. Cappuccino is in order.