Instructions: Sprinkle the apple slices with the lemon juice. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the puff pastry to 1/4 inch or less in thickness - the thinner the better. Cut the pastry into 6 circles, each at least 8 inches in diameter or almost as large as the dishes you plan to use for service.

With the point of a sharp knife, score a circle 1/2 inch in from the outer edge of each pastry. The apples will extend only to this scored mark, which will help to form an edge when the pastry bakes. Arrange the apples within the scored circles. Dot each pastry with 1 tablespoon of butter, and sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven, and dot with the rest of the butter and sugar. Bake the pastries for 10 more minutes.

As the tarts bake, prepare the lemon cream. Heat the combined milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean, but dont bring the liquid to a boil. In a saucepan (not over heat), whisk the egg yolks, adding the sugar a spoonful at a time and whisking it in rapidly until the mixture is pale yellow and all the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the vanilla bean from the hot milk, and then pour the milk into the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, stirring it constantly with a rubber spatula. Set the mixture over medium-low heat, continuing to stir it constantly and making sure to reach all the edges. As with all custards, this one should be cooked slowly and should not be overcooked. The custard is done when it will hold an edge as you draw your finger across the custard-coated spatula. If small grains appear in the custard, remove the saucepan from the heat immediately, plunge its bottom into cold water, and stir vigorously to stop the cooking.

Mix the zest, lemon juice, and orange liqueur together, and then stir them into the custard sauce. Keep the sauce warm.

When the tarts are done, sprinkle a little more sugar on top, and place them under the broiler to caramelize the sugar. (Believe it or not, restaurants often use propane torches to do this!) Place a tart on each serving dish, spoon a little lemon cream over the top, and garnish with small curls of lemon peel. Pass the remaining cream separately.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

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