Dessert: Brown Butter Apple Tart

Recipe by Cynthia Wong This custardy fall dessert works best with firm, tart apples. Be sure to begin the dough one day ahead. The crust recipe makes enough for two; freeze the second one airtight for up to three months, or use it for a pumpkin or pecan

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

Coat tart pan with nonstick spray. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix butter, sugar, and salt until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add egg, cream, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add flour all at once and beat until dough almost comes together. Turn dough out onto a work surface. Knead until dough just comes together, 4-5 times. Divide dough in half; form each half into a smooth ball. Flatten into disks and wrap each disk tightly in plastic. Chill 1 disk overnight; freeze second disk for another use.
Roll out chilled dough disk between two sheets of plastic wrap, lifting and adjusting plastic as needed, until 1/8" thick and 2" wider than tart pan. Transfer dough in plastic wrap to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
Remove top piece of plastic from dough. Invert dough into tart pan; press onto bottom and up sides. If dough is soft, chill until firm enough for remaining sheet of plastic to be removed. Trim edges of dough (patch up any holes or tears with extra dough). Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line dough with parchment paper or heavy-duty foil, leaving a 1"-2" overhang. Fill paper with dried beans or pie weights. Bake tart shell just until dough has dried and does not look wet in any spots, about 20 minutes. (If center still looks wet, bake crust without weights until dried and opaque, a few minutes longer.)