Custard tarts recipe

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Smooth custard is the ultimate in comfort food and making it into a classic tart transforms it from a sauce to an entire dessert. Try our recipe, click here

Makes12
SkillEasy
Preparation Time20 mins
Cooking Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Cost RangeCheap

These delicious smooth custard tarts are so simple to make. Wrapped in a crisp, buttery pastry, this recipe combines the soft custard with shortcrust pastry to make a wonderful mix of flavours and textures. If you are making these for a special occasion they are the perfect thing to decorate with fruit and icing sugar to impress your friends and family.

Ingredients

  • Half a 375g pack of sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
  • 30g (1oz) plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • Few drops of vanilla extract
  • 200ml (7fl oz) milk
  • 3 medium egg yolks
  • 2 tsps ground nutmeg
  • Baking tray

Equipment

:

  • 7.5cm (3in) round cutter
  • 12-hole muffin tin, greased

WEIGHT CONVERTER

to

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
  2. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out rounds. Re-roll trimmings and cut out more rounds until you have 12 in total. Use to line the patty tins, and prick the bases with a fork. Chill while you make the filling. 
  3. Whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar.
  4. Mix the flour, cornflour and vanilla with 3 tbsp milk to make a smooth paste. Pour the rest of the milk into the pan and bring to the boil, then add flour mixture a little at a time, whisking to combine. Turn off the heat and whisk into the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla mixture. Return the mixture to the pan and simmer, stirring until thickened and smooth. Cool for 5 mins.
  5. Spoon this mixture into the pastry cases. Bake above the centre of the oven for 25 mins until the filling is set. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes, Sprinkle with nutmeg and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Top Tip for making Custard tarts

These little tarts will keep very well for a day or 2 in an airtight container so are the perfect party food.

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