Renown pastry chef François Payard helps us fall into the harvest season with desserts featuring some of autumn's most valuable players, like apples, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and cranberries.

Five Fall Desserts: François Payard

1. Apple Financier Tart (Serves 6)

"To me, this tart really says fall. We use fresh organic Fuji apples that we bake in the oven until they begin to caramelize. This tart is perfect for so many different occasions like Thanksgiving. It's also a great tart to serve at a dinner party with friends because it tastes great served at room temperature."

For the financier batter:

3 Tbsp (43 grams) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (60 grams) slivered almonds

1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp (50 grams) confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (54 grams) all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp (15 grams) cornstarch

Pinch of salt

4 egg whites

2 Tbsp (42 grams) honey

1/4 cup (58 grams) heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split

For the apple filling:

10 Tbsp (1 1/4 sticks or 142 grams) unsalted butter, cut into Tbsp

3 medium (510 grams) Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dices

1/2 cup (168 grams) honey

For the assembly:

1 9 1/2-inch tart shell, unbaked

For the glaze:

1/4 cup (84 grams) honey

Cooking Directions

Make the financier batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F.