Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Refrigeration time: 2 hours

Pastry

1. Roll out the puff pastry and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Prick the pastry all over with a fork, then sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake in a 210° C (425° F) oven for about 20 minutes until baked - check to be sure the sugar does not burn.
4. Remove from the oven; cool and then cut into 18 squares, each 6-7 cm (2 1/2").

Apple, ice cream and sauce

1. For the apples: peel and dice. Cook in a small saucepan with the star anise and 40 g (8 tsp.) sugar for about 15 minutes over medium heat.
2. For the ice cream: place the crème anglaise, cream and cinnamon into an ice cream maker; process until thickened.
3. Once the ice cream is thickened, transfer to molds and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Brush cylindrical molds with the melted chocolate. Sprinkle immediately with the slivered hazelnuts so that they adhere to the chocolate. Set aside in the freezer.
5. Once the ice cream is frozen, place in a piping bag and fill the chocolate cylinders.
6. For the sauce: peel the apricots, purée and combine with the sugar.

Presentation

1. Place a square of puff pastry on each plate; top with a spoonful of pastry cream and a little apple; repeat with pastry, cream and apple and finish with a square of puff pastry.
2. On the other side of the plate, unmold a cylinder of chocolate-coated ice cream.
3. Finish with a few drops of sauce.

Notes from the editor

If you don't have an ice cream maker, use a food processor. Place the bowl with the ice cream into the freezer and remove it every 30 minutes. Return it to the base and process for 30 seconds. Repeat about 3 times, until the ice cream has thickened.

If you don't have cylindrical pastry molds, use small rectangular dishes and form short cylinders in the bottom. You could also make cylinders out of parchment paper, but they're very delicate to work with.