Thousand Leaves Torte (Tusenbladstarta - Sweden)

This is a very dramatic and unusual dessert.

Cinnamon Pastry:
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Custard-Cream Filling
1 cup thick applesauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Sliced almonds

Prepare Cinnamon Pastry. Divide pastry into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into 7-inch circle on lightly floured cloth-covered board; place on ungreased cookie sheets. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Prick circles with fork; sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Prepare Custard-Cream Filling. Mix applesauce and lemon juice. Stack circles, spreading alternately with 1/3 cup applesauce mixture and 1/2 cup Custard-Cream Filling. Spread top layer with remaining filling. Garnish with almonds. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Yields 12 to 14 servings.

Cinnamon Pastry:
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Cut butter into flour, salt and cinnamon until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until al flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl, adding 1 to 2 teaspoon water if necessary. Gather pastry into a ball.

Custard-Cream Filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg. Stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract. Cover and cool slightly; refrigerate until completely cooled. Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl until stiff; fold into cooled mixture.