Ingredients
for the crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, diced
6 tablespoons (or more) ice water
for the filling
2 tart apples (granny smith or honey crisp are great), peeled and cored
2 tablespoons raisins, soaked in a shot of rum
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
for the vanilla custard
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball; divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic; chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together the raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon. Fill cored out apples with mixture, as full as you can get them.
Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 8-inch diameter circle. Place apple in the center and mold dough up around the apple and seal the dough around apple. You might need a bit of water to seal. If you are feeling artistic, cut a few leaf-shapes of dough and lay over top seams. Repeat with second apple.
Bake on middle rack of oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
In the meantime, make your vanilla custard. Bring sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks and milk to a low boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat (about 20 minutes), whisking contantly. It should thicken immediately upon boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm, immediately over the apples. If you have leftovers, store in refrigerator with plastic wrap directly on surface of the custard as to keep a skin from forming.
