Next Level Egg Custard Tart Recipes

NEXT-LEVEL EGG CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Melt the butter in a saucepan until foaming, then sizzle until it turns nut-brown. Pour off the fat into a bowl, leaving the sediment in the pan to be discarded. Leave the fat to cool, then chill until it hardens again. Combine the flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. When the fat has hardened, cut it into chunks and rub it into the flour mixture until crumbly. Stir in the egg yolk and 1 tsp cold water, and bring it together into a dough. Flatten into a disc, then cover and chill for at least 30 mins. Can be made up to two days ahead. (The pastry can also be made with regular butter.)
• Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a roughly 5mm thickness, then lift into a 20cm tart tin. Press the pastry into the base and up the side using a small piece of excess floured pastry. Leave some overhanging the rim. Chill for at least 30 mins, or freeze for 10 mins. Reserve any excess pastry.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Put on a baking tray and bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for 15-20 mins more until biscuity.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Tip the cream and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir (don't whisk) the egg yolks and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Slowly drizzle the hot cream over the egg yolk mixture, stirring continuously (not whisking) until everything is incorporated. Sieve the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a jug, then spoon off any froth.
• Remove the baked tart case from the oven, and reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Trim the excess pastry from the case, and mend any cracks with the reserved raw pastry. With the tart case on the baking tray, slide it halfway back into the oven, then carefully pour in the filling to the top of the case. Finely grate over at least half a nutmeg. Gently slide the tray fully into the oven and bake for 40 mins, or until just set with a very slight wobble. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then remove from the case and cut into slices.

CLASSIC ENGLISH EGG CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the flour, butter, and salt into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough from becoming warm.
• Add the very cold water to the mixture and then, use a cold knife to stir until the dough binds together. Add more water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry. Wrap the dough, and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9- to 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Don't overstretch the pastry while rolling, as it may crack in the oven. Trim the edges of the dough evenly with the top of the tart pan. Lightly dock the bottom of the dough in the tart pan. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or alternatively freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.
• Line the tart with parchment, fill with dry beans or pie weights, and bake until the edges are dry and light brown, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the parchment and the pie weights and continue to bake until the bottom crust is light golden, 5 to 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the filling.
• Gather the ingredients. Lower the oven to 325 F.
• In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar.
• In a medium saucepan, warm the cream to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
• Drizzle the cream slowly over the beaten eggs, whisking constantly to prevent cooking the eggs. Add the vanilla extract, if using.
• Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the egg-cream mixture through a fine sieve into the tart shell (if you have some remaining custard, you can bake it separately in an oven-proof ramekin).
• Sprinkle evenly with the grated nutmeg . Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges of the custard are firm, and the center is set, but still wobbles a bit in the center when the pan is gently nudged, 24 to 27 minutes. The custard will firm up even more as it cools, so be careful not to overbake.
• Let the baked tart cool to room temperature. Carefully remove the tart from the pan and serve.

EGG TARTS

Steps:

• For the tart crust: Combine the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the butter and coconut oil and rub between your fingers until nickel-size flakes of fat are evenly dispersed into the flour. Add the cold water and gently mix into a shaggy mass. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, press together into a disc, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Spray a muffin tin with 2 1/2-inch-diameter cavities with cooking spray. On a lightly floured countertop, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut rounds with a 3 1/2-inch cutter or bowl. Press the rounds into the greased muffin tin and refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• While the crust is chilling, bring the sugar, salt and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Let cool to warmish. In a measuring cup (or something with a spout), beat together the whole eggs and yolk. Add the warm sugar syrup and whisk to combine. Add the cream and almond extract and whisk to combine. Strain the filling through a mesh sieve.
• Pour the filling into the prepared shells (they should be about 85% filled). Bake until the filling has puffed up and set and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from the muffin tin and eating. The egg puff will fall, but it's ok. These will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

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.

OLD-FASHIONED BAKED EGG CUSTARD TART WITH NUTMEG

Steps:

• To make the pastry, first of all sift the flour with the pinch of salt into a large bowl, holding the sieve up high to give it a good airing. Then add the lard and butter and, using only your fingertips, lightly and gently rub the fat into the flour, again lifting the mixture up high all the time to give it a good airing.
• When everything is crumbly, sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of cold water. Start to mix the pastry with a knife and then finish off with your hands, adding a few more drops of water, till you have a smooth dough that leaves the bowl clean. Then pop the pastry into a polythene bag and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C) and pop the baking sheet in to pre-heat on the centre shelf.
• After that, roll the pastry out into a circle on a surface lightly dusted with flour, giving it quarter turns to keep its round shape; it's a good idea at this stage to put the tin lightly on top of the pastry - the size needs to be 1 inch (2.5 cm) bigger all round. Now transfer it, rolling it over the pin, to the tin, and press it lightly and firmly around the base, sides and rim. Now take a sharp knife and trim the overlapping pastry. Then press the rim of the pastry so that about ¼ inch (5 mm) overlaps the edge.
• Next, roll the trimmings and cut out about 24 leaves, making veins in them with the blunt side of the knife. Now brush the whole surface of the pastry case with some of the beaten eggs, arranging the leaves all around the rim, overlapping them. Brush these, too, with beaten egg. Now prick the base of the tart with a fork, then place it on the baking sheet and bake on the centre shelf for 20 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden. Check after 4 minutes to make sure that the pastry isn't rising up in the centre. If it is, prick it again a couple of times, pressing it back down with your hands. After 20 minutes, remove it from the oven, leaving the baking sheet there, and reduce the temperature to gas mark 3, 325°F(170°C).
• Now place the cream in a saucepan and bring it up to a gentle simmer, then whisk the beaten eggs and sugar together in a large heatproof jug using a balloon whisk - but not too vigorously because you don't want to make bubbles. Then pour the hot liquid over the beaten eggs, add the vanilla extract and half the nutmeg and whisk briefly again.
• Now place the pie tin back on the baking tray with the oven shelf half out and have ready the rest of the grated nutmeg on a piece of foil. Carefully pour the filling into the pastry case (it will be very full) and scatter the rest of the nutmeg all over, then dot with the softened butter and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is golden brown, firm in the centre and slightly puffed up. Serve it warm or slightly cooled at room temperature.

EGG CUSTARD TARTS

Steps:

• Beat the eggs, stir in the milk and the sugar.
• Add the yellow food coloring if using.
• Let the filling rest for a few minutes to let some of the air bubbles burst.
• Pour into tart shells.
• Bake at 350 about 35 minutes or until the custard is cooked and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool.