Apple-rose tart

It is normal to revisit old recipes that remains in your memory both as an image and as taste. This is the story with this recipe.
There are few differences with my old recipe of Fine apple tart but the look is totally different.

Ingredients:

• 1 shortcrust pastry - about 500g
• 400ml milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 egg yolks
• 100g sugar
• 30g corn starch (Maizena)
• 10 big apples
• 2 tablespoons of apricot jam.

Directions:

1. Stretch the pastry and lay it at the bottom of a ceramic plate that is suitable to pass in the oven. Use a bit of butter to avoid sticking to the plate. I used a deep plate, even taller than the size of an apple.
2. Boil the milk with the removed seeds of vanilla. You can add the remaining vanilla beans as well but do not forget the take them out before going to the next step.
3. In a another pot, mix the egg yolks with sugar until they become more white. 
4. Add the corn starch and stir well.
5. Pour the hot milk in the egg yolks mixing continuously.
6. Put the composition back to heat while mixing without stop until it becomes thick.
7. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and let it cool completely.
8. Put the vanilla cream on the bottom of the tart pan, over the shortcrust pastry.
9. Slice the apples very finely with a mandoline and sprinkle them with lemon to avoid darkening.
10. Make roses from the apple slices and put them over the creme. I made one big rose from each apple.
11. Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of apricot jam in 40ml of water until it becomes more liquid.
12. Brush with it the apples on the top of the tart to avoid drying and browning.
13. Bake the tart in the preheated oven at 220ºC for 45 minutes covering the it with aluminum foil to avoid burning the apples. Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes.