Recipe: French Apple Tart With Lavender Caramel Sauce

This recipe was listed in this week's Los angeles Times cooking section. Sounds like a lot of work, but probably worth it!
FRENCH APPLE TART WITH LAVENDER CARAMEL SAUCE

The aromas of lavender and Marsala make this simple dessert
pairing extraordinary.
PASTRY
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) butter,
cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water
FILLING
6 apples, peeled and cored
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Marsala
CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 to 5 sprigs lavender flowers
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
PASTRY
Combine flour, salt and sugar in bowl of food processor. Add
butter and process in short pulses until butter mixture resembles
coarse crumbs. Add ice water and process just until dough starts to
come together. Or combine flour, salt and sugar in mixing bowl.
Add butter and blend with fingertips or pastry cutter. Stir in ice
water until mixture starts to come together.
Form dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into disk and
chill at least 1 hour.
Roll out dough on lightly floured board into 11x7-inch rectangle
about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to 9x5-inch rectangular tart pan and
press into bottom and sides. Dough should extend slightly beyond
sides of tart pan. Chill 30 minutes.
FILLING
Chop 4 apples into 1/2-inch chunks. Melt 4 tablespoons butter
in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in chopped apples and 1/2
cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until apples are tender, 20 to 25
minutes. Stir in vanilla and let cool.
Slice remaining 2 apples into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Melt
remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Toss sliced apples with melted
butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and Marsala.
Spoon cooked apple mixture into pastry shell, and arrange
sliced apples in overlapping rows to cover filling. Pour any juices
left from sliced apples over top of tart. Bake at 375 degrees until
apples are golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
CARAMEL SAUCE
Heat cream in saucepan over medium heat until it begins to
simmer. Remove from heat. Lightly crush lavender sprigs to release
fragrance. Add to cream, cover and let stand to infuse cream with
lavender flavor, about 30 minutes.
Whisk sugar into water in small bowl. Pour into heavy-bottomed
saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar is completely
dissolved, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high and boil mixture
without stirring. Wash down sides of pan frequently with clean
brush dipped in water.
Sugar will first begin to caramelize and turn golden around edges
of pan. Very carefully lift pan and gently swirl mixture to ensure
even caramelization. Boil until sugar is deep amber color, 3 to 4
minutes. Remove from heat and place pan in sink.
While sugar is boiling, remove lavender sprigs from cream and
reheat over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear around edges of
cream.
Slowly pour hot cream into caramel, whisking to combine.
Mixture will bubble up. If caramel hardens on bottom or edges of
pan, place over low heat and whisk until dissolved. While sauce is
still warm, strain through fine strainer. Makes about 1 cup sauce.
Serve with French Apple Tart.
8 servings. Each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce:
649 calories; 335 mg sodium; 107 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat;
78 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.58 gram fiber.