Mini Custard Tarts
As we enter the festive party season, it is always good to have an arsenal of canapé recipes up your sleeve and this is a real winner...
The humble custard tart, for me, represents everything that is good about British baking - crumbly, butter pastry filled with perfectly cooked, just set, rich, wobbly custard. The perfect bite for any occasion, these are satisfying to make and even more satisfying to eat. However, be warned - they are highly addictive!
Mini Custard Tarts
Makes 24
For the sweet pastry:
plain flour, plus extra for dusting
25g ground almonds
120g chilled unsalted butter, cubed
55g caster sugar
1 free-range egg
For the custard filling:
175ml full-fat milk
2 free-range egg yolks
25g caster sugar
To make the pastry, stir the flour and ground almonds together in a large bowl, then add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Break in the egg and work it into the mixture with your fingers, bringing it together to form a soft dough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Flatten with your fingers to a disc and wrap in cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Roll out the sweet pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using an 5cm/2in fluted cutter, cut out twenty four discs and line two mini muffin tray moulds with the pastry circles. The pastry should come up to the rim of each mould.
For the custard filling, warm the milk in a saucepan, and beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a separate bowl until pale and creamy. Pour the milk onto the egg yolk mixture and stir well, creating little bubbles. Transfer the custard mixture into a pouring jug with a lip, then fill each of the tart cases.
Bake the tarts in the oven for about 12 minutes. You are looking for a very slight dome on the custard, indicating that it is baked. If the custard domes too much this indicates that you have over-cooked the custard, it will have boiled, and will sink back down leaving a big dip. If this does happen you can help rescue it by removing the tarts from the oven immediately and placing the tin in cold water on a cold surface.
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes and then carefully remove from the moulds. The base of the tarts should be perfectly baked through, without having over-cooked the custard filling.
The humble custard tart, for me, represents everything that is good about British baking - crumbly, butter pastry filled with perfectly cooked, just set, rich, wobbly custard. The perfect bite for any occasion, these are satisfying to make and even more satisfying to eat. However, be warned - they are highly addictive!
Mini Custard Tarts
Makes 24
For the sweet pastry:
plain flour, plus extra for dusting
25g ground almonds
120g chilled unsalted butter, cubed
55g caster sugar
1 free-range egg
For the custard filling:
175ml full-fat milk
2 free-range egg yolks
25g caster sugar
To make the pastry, stir the flour and ground almonds together in a large bowl, then add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Break in the egg and work it into the mixture with your fingers, bringing it together to form a soft dough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Flatten with your fingers to a disc and wrap in cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Roll out the sweet pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using an 5cm/2in fluted cutter, cut out twenty four discs and line two mini muffin tray moulds with the pastry circles. The pastry should come up to the rim of each mould.
For the custard filling, warm the milk in a saucepan, and beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a separate bowl until pale and creamy. Pour the milk onto the egg yolk mixture and stir well, creating little bubbles. Transfer the custard mixture into a pouring jug with a lip, then fill each of the tart cases.
Bake the tarts in the oven for about 12 minutes. You are looking for a very slight dome on the custard, indicating that it is baked. If the custard domes too much this indicates that you have over-cooked the custard, it will have boiled, and will sink back down leaving a big dip. If this does happen you can help rescue it by removing the tarts from the oven immediately and placing the tin in cold water on a cold surface.
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes and then carefully remove from the moulds. The base of the tarts should be perfectly baked through, without having over-cooked the custard filling.
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