Ingredients:
- 1 cup gingersnap or graham cracker crumbs (5 ounces)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons plus 7 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2-1/2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 nectarines (3/4 pound), cut into paper-thin slices
- 1 tablespoon apple jelly
The custard for this pie filling has only one egg, making it significantly lower in cholesterol than a typical custard. If you want to cut the cholesterol in this recipe even further, use olive oil instead of melted butter in the crust and use 1% instead of whole milk in the custard.
CLOCK WATCH: The tart needs to be refrigerated for 2 hours
Total Time: 25 minutes (plus chilling) Hands Time: 25 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, blend the cookie crumbs, melted butter and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes to set the crust. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg and lemon juice together. Set aside. 3. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons sugar, the flour, cornstarch, salt and ginger. Whisk in the milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and beginning to bubble, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. 4. Whisk some of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk the warmed egg mixture back into the pan. Bring back to a bare simmer (less than 1 minute) and remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla, and pour into the cooled tart shell. 5. Arrange the nectarines over the custard filling, being sure to cover it completely (this will keep the custard from forming a skin). In a small saucepan, melt the apple jelly and brush over the nectarines. 6. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Makes 8 servings.