Special equipment needed: 3 1/2-inch tart rings or tart pans.

Combine the first seven ingredients in a large, heavy, flat-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off heat and let them steep while fruit is being prepared.

Peel the apples and put them in lemon water (squeeze a whole lemon into a bowl full of water) to keep them from browning while you work. Cut the apples into quarters, cut out the cores, then cut the quarters in half again.

Poach in batches. Bring the poaching liquid to a boil and add enough apple wedges to cover the surface. Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until a knife slides easily through still-firm fruit. Lift the finished wedges out with a slotted spoon and lay them on a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Cool briefly, then refrigerate. Continue until all the apples are poached. Cool the poaching liquid over an ice bath (a metal bowl placed in a larger bowl filled with ice and some water). When both the apples and the liquid are cold, combine them in a bucket or large bowl and store them in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Thaw the puff pastry dough. Working on a cool, liberally floured surface, roll it out to form an 18-by-28-inch rectangle. If the dough is too sticky to roll out easily, return it to the freezer for 15 minutes or more to firm it up.

Cut out 12 rounds with a 6-inch cake ring (you can also trace a 6-inch bowl or a 6-inch cardboard round—simply place it on the pastry and cut with a small, very sharp knife). Rub the inside of the tart rings with butter and dust with flour. Line the rings with the puff pastry rounds, leaving the extra hanging over the edge, and chill for an hour before adding the filling.

Pipe or spread the brown butter tart filling 1/4 inch into the bottom of the chilled tart shells. Cut the apple wedges in half crosswise and arrange 7 or 8 wedges, cut side down and pointed end up, on top of the tart filling. Fold the excess crust in over the fruit, creating a pleated effect.

Sprinkle the tarts with cinnamon-sugar and bake on a cookie sheet for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown and the filling is no longer white in the center. Rotate the sheet if necessary for even baking. Makes 12 tarts.

Note: These tarts can be assembled and frozen for up to three weeks before baking. If you decide to freeze, do not wrap them until they're fully frozen, and do not thaw them before baking.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is very light and thick, about two minutes.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, then raise the heat slightly and continue cooking until the milk solids turn a nutty brown color. Don't let them burn -- go slowly and watch carefully. Remove the butter from the heat and add the lemon juice immediately, to stop the cooking. Then immediately pour the butter through a cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer into a large bowl.

Pour the egg and sugar mixture into the butter in a slow, steady stream, whisking vigorously as you go. Once the butter is incorporated, add the flour and salt and mix until just blended. Use immediately or refrigerate. The filling can also be frozen.

Whisk the first four ingredients together, cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Whip half the sugar with the egg yolks until the mixture is thick and pale. Prepare an ice bath for the custard you're about to make. Using a heavy saucepan, heat the cream, milk and milk powder with the rest of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then slowly add it to the yolks in a stream, whisking as you go. Pour this back into the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Do this for about 10 minutes, until the custard coats the back of your spoon and has reached about 170 degrees F on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Do not let custard boil.

Strain the custard through a mesh colander into the bowl set in the ice bath. When it's cool, add the crème fraîche mixture. Refrigerate this over-night, then spin it in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Store the ice cream for at least a few hours, preferably overnight, before serving. Makes about 1 quart.

Set aside one cup of the cider, to be used later to keep the syrup from overcooking. Put the remaining cider in a heavy saucepan with the corn syrup, cinnamon, Calvados and lemon juice. Bring to a boil at high heat. Lower the heat slightly and cook about 90 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half and begins to foam and bubble as it caramelizes. When this happens, add the reserved cider. Continue to cook a few minutes more, then remove from the heat. Cool the syrup, strain it through a cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Serve the tarts warm (reheat them if necessary) with ice cream on the side and a bit of the syrup drizzled over or around the dessert. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.