Pink Applesauce Meringue Tart With Hazelnut Cookie Crust

FOR COOKIE CRUST
1/2 c Hazelnuts; toasted and
-skinned
; (procedure follows)
3 tb Sugar
1 1/3 c All-purpose flour
1/2 ts Salt
1 Stick unsalted butter;
-softened (1/2 cup)
1 lg Egg yolk beaten lightly with
-2
; tablespoons water

-FOR MERINGUE-
2 lg Egg whites
1/3 c Sugar

Make applesauce filling:

Quarter and core apples (do not peel). In a 5-quart saucepan simmer apples,
uncovered, with remaining filling ingredients 2 hours, or until mixture is
reduced to about 3 3/4 cups. (Stir mixture frequently during last 30
minutes of cooking to prevent scorching.) Force mixture through a food mill
fitted with coarse disk or a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding
solids, and chill. Applesauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and chilled,
covered.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Make cookie crust:

In a food processor grind hazelnuts fine with sugar, flour, and salt. Add
butter and pulse mixture well. Add yolk mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time,
pulsing after each addition, and pulse mixture until it forms a dough.
Press dough onto bottom and up side of a 10-inch tart pan with a removable
fluted rim. Bake crust in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until browned
lightly, and cool in pan on a rack. Crust may be made 3 days ahead and
kept, covered, in a cool dry place.

Spread applesauce onto crust.

Preheat oven to 450F.

Make meringue:

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat egg whites with a pinch salt until
they hold soft peaks. Add sugar gradually, beating whites until they hold
stiff peaks.

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip and pipe
some in a lattice pattern over filling. Pipe remaining meringue onto edge
of tart to make a decorative border.

Bake tart in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden, and
chill 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

To toast and skin hazelnuts:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a baking pan toast hazelnuts in one layer in oven 10 to 15 minutes, or
until colored lightly, and skins blister. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and
let steam 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove as much of skins as
possible and cool.