Custard Tart Recipes

CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg and milk and bring together to form a dough. This can be made 2 days in advance.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out and use it to line a 20cm tart tin, leave 2cm of pastry hanging over the edge. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the case with baking beans, bake blind for 20 mins, then remove the beans and continue to cook for a further 20 mins until the base is biscuity. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
• Bring the cream, milk, vanilla pod, lemon zest and a small grating of nutmeg to the boil. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then pour the hot milk and cream over, beating as you go. Strain custard into a jug, allow to settle for a few mins, then skim off any froth.
• Carefully pour the custard into the tart case, grate some more nutmeg over the top and bake for 40 mins or until just set with the very slightest wobble in the middle. Remove from the oven, trim the pastry edges off (away from the filling), then leave to cool completely before serving in slices with a grating more of nutmeg, if you like.

CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• The Case: Roll out the pastry into a rectangle and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle on some icing sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Tightly roll the pastry, along the longest side, into a sausage roll and slice into discs (about 1-inch thick). With the palm of your hand press down into each disc, then roll out each one into a circle.
• Grease the bottom and sides of 6 oven-proof glasses with butter, then dip each into a bag of flour so that the flour sticks to the butter and shake off any excess. Put the center of the pastry circles on top of the floured oven-proof glass, and gently press the sides of the pastry onto the side of the glass (it should look a bit pleated). Place the glasses (rim side down) on a tray in a preheated 350 degree F.oven). When they are cooked, take them out of the oven and press the bottom of each pastry case, this will ensure that they have a flat bottom.
• The Custard: Break the eggs into a mixing bowl with the sugar and orange zest and whisk thoroughly. Scrape out the seeds inside of a vanilla pod and stir this into the egg mixture. Pour the cream into a saucepan and remove from the heat just before it boils. Pour the hot cream into the bowl of eggs, stirring all the time. Then transfer this mixture back to the saucepan, on medium heat and stir continuously until it has thickened.
• Pour the custard into the pastry cases and let sit to cool.
• Heat the sugar and water on a high heat until you have a golden caramel. As soon as this is ready, pour a thin layer on top of the custard.;

CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine milk, flour, sugar, and egg yolks. Whisk to combine. Add butter, and whisk to combine.
• In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks with a wire whisk.
• Gently but thoroughly fold egg whites into milk mixture. Scrape into prepared pie plate, and bake until the custard is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack until lukewarm. Cut into wedges, and serve garnished with berries.

PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS (PASTEIS DE NATA)

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what's shown in the video.
• Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.
• Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
• Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.
• Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.
• Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.

EGG CUSTARD TARTS

Steps:

• Make the puff pastry: Cut the butter into 3/4 cup flour in a medium bowl with a fork, then knead with your hands until the dough comes together. Transfer the "oil dough" to a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a 7 1/2-inch square; wrap in the plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the egg, water and remaining 3/4 cup flour in a separate bowl, then knead with your hands until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. Transfer the "water dough" to a piece of plastic wrap; wrap in the plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Unwrap the "water dough" and roll out into an 11-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Place the "oil dough" square on top and turn it so that it looks like a diamond. Fold the sides of the "water dough" over the "oil dough" to enclose completely.
• Roll out the folded dough into an 11-inch square and mark it into thirds. Fold in the outer thirds over the center third, like a letter. Roll out the folded dough into a large square again. Repeat twice (folding like a letter, then rolling into a square), refrigerating the dough as needed if it becomes too soft.
• Mark the square of dough into fourths. Fold the outer fourths into the center, then fold in half like a book and roll out again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
• Butter 12 small (2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch-diameter) fluted tart pans. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out circles with a round cutter (about 1/4 inch larger than your tart pans). Refrigerate 20 minutes, then press the dough into the tart pans. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the egg custard: Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Whisk the eggs into the cooled sugar syrup, then stir in the evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Arrange the tart pans on a baking sheet. Divide the custard among the pans, filling each about three-quarters full. (Do not overfill or the tarts could overflow; you may not use all of the custard.)
• Bake until the crusts are golden and the filling puffs slightly, about 45 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully tap the bottoms to remove the tarts and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 190ºC. Combine flours and 1¼ cup of the sugar in a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and enough water (about 3 tsp) to make ingredients cling together. Press into a ball then shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle about 30cm in diameter. Lift pastry into springform tin. Cover with cling wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
• Place tin on oven tray, cover pastry with baking paper and fill with uncooked rice or baking beads. Bake for 10 minutes then remove paper and weights and bake for 10 more minutes until pastry is golden. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 180ºC.
• Meanwhile, whisk together remaining eggs, vanilla extract and remaining sugar in a bowl. Slowly add hot milk and whisk until combined.
• Pour custard into pastry. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake for a further 30 minutes or until custard is set. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes before serving.

SINFUL CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Position 1 oven rack in the bottom of the oven and 1 in the middle. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie plate, crimping the edge.
• Bake pie crust on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• While the crust is baking, combine eggs and sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add half-and-half, milk, rum, and salt; mix on low until incorporated. Mix nutmeg and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
• Remove crust from the oven and brush with egg white; bake for another 5 minutes.
• Remove crust from the oven; increase temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Carefully pour filling into the pie crust. Sprinkle with spice mixture.
• Bake on the bottom rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Move the pie to the middle rack and bake until the middle of the pie is almost set, about 25 minutes. Place on a cooling rack; it will continue to cook after it's taken out of the oven.

RHUBARB CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Dough: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-size pieces remaining. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture; pulse several times to combine. Add more water as needed, pulsing until mixture holds together when pinched. Shape dough into a rectangle and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, or freeze up to 3 months; thaw completely in refrigerator before using.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-by-12 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet or a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, fitting dough into corners and folding over extra to create a double-layered edge. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Line dough with parchment and fill to top with dry rice or beans, or pie weights. Bake until edges are golden and bottom is beginning to dry out, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights; continue baking until golden brown on bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes.
• Filling: Meanwhile, cut rhubarb into 11-inch lengths (if some are shorter, that's okay). Using a sharp knife, score rhubarb along rounded sides on a diagonal at 2-inch intervals (this helps heat penetrate and break up the fibers, so the tart is easier to slice once cooked).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, salt, eggs, cream, and vanilla; pour mixture into cooled crust. Arrange rhubarb lengthwise over top, scored-sides up; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bake until tart is puffed, golden, and just set in center, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before serving. To serve, run a spatula under tart to release from sheet, then slide onto a cutting board. Cut into squares; serve at room temperature or chilled. Tart is best eaten the day it's made, but can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.