Egg Custard Tarts With Bananas And Caramel Recipes

TRADITIONAL EGG CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Put the oven on to 190C, 375F,Gas 5
• Make your shortcrust pastry. Use our recipe for making your own pie crust if you prefer. Grease your flan dish & make sure you grease up the sides too.
• Roll out the pastry into the shape of your flan dish. Make sure there is enough to reach up the sides of your dish. I just place the dish over the pastry to see if I've rolled enough.
• Use your rolling pin to transfer the pastry to the dish.
• Gently push the pastry around the sides of the dish. It's easier to lift the pastry a little and then push into the sides.
• Use a sharp knife and trim the edges to make it tidy.
• If you spot any holes or bits of pastry missing, use some of your cut-offs to patch up.
• Now you will need to prepare the flan case to take the wet filling. You need to first 'Bake blind' the pastry. See here for more information. You need to bake blind for 20 minutes in the oven. 5 minutes before the end of baking blind, remove the weights used and return to the oven.
• Once you have baked blind your pastry, you need to get all your filling ingredients ready if you haven't done so already and reduce the oven temperature to 180 C, Gas 4, 350 F
• Prepare custard filling by hand whisking eggs in a mixing bowl.
• Heat milk & sugar in a pan and bring to the boil.
• Add the milk to the whisked eggs gradually, stirring as you pour, to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
• Pass the mixture through a sieve and allow to cool for 15 minutes, or immerse the bowl in cold water in the sink to cool the custard down a little.
• Carefully pour the mixture into the pastry case and sprinkle some nutmeg on the surface.
• Place in the oven, after 30 minutes, check if it's done. If the surface of the custard 'wobbles' too much when you move the dish, leave for a further 5 minutes.
• When done, leave to cool before removing it from the flan dish
• Some like to eat this tart warm, I enjoy it more after it has been chilled for an hour in the fridge. It is also easier to slice when it has cooled.

FLAN PâTISSIER (FRENCH CUSTARD TART)

Steps:

• Infuse milk: Place milk, vanilla seeds, used beans and 50g (1/4 cup) sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to just before boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, place lid on and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
• Yolk mixture: Meanwhile, place egg yolks, egg and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cornflour and whisk until smooth.
• Temper eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in about half the milk in a thin stream. Whisk until combined.
• Thicken custard: Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan then whisk to combine. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly so the base doesn't catch, until it starts to thicken (you will feel it). It should happen within 3 to 5 minutes. If it gets lumpy, remove off heat, whisk vigorously - will become smooth.
• Stir 20 seconds after bubbles appear: When the custard is thickened and hot and you see the first big lazy bubbles appear on the base, whisk constantly on the stove for a further 20 seconds then remove from stove. (To check for bubbles, pause stirring for a few seconds)
• Butter: Whisk butter in until fully incorporated.
• Strain & cool: Immediately strain into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Discard vanilla bean. Cover with cling wrap touching the surface. Cool on counter (3 hrs+) then refrigerate 12 - 24 hours. (Note 5)
• Work with pastry as frozen as possible - it's easier. (Note 4)
• Cut base and sides: Cut base out using the inside of the pan as a guide on one sheet of puff pastry. Cut three 25 x 5.5cm (2.15 x 10″) wide strips on the other sheet of puff pastry. Place base and sides back in freezer. RESERVE offcuts (for emergency patching).
• Line pan: Butter and line the sides of a 20cm/8" springform pan with a 5.5cm / 2.2" strip of baking paper. We are not using the pan base. (Note 6)
• Line sides: Place cake pan on a square sheet of baking paper on a plate. (Note 6) Remove cut puff pastry from freezer. Working quickly, when sides have JUST thawed enough to bend, line sides of cake pan with puff pastry, overlapping by 1cm / 0.4", using water to seal - just press down for now (will seal properly later).
• Base: Brush base of sides with water. Fit base into cake pan (see video at 2 min 50 sec for technique).
• Seal pastry: Use the back of a teaspoon to press base into the corner. Then smear the now-thawing puff pastry to full seal.
• Prick base: Prick base 30 times with fork. (I always forget!!)
• Freeze: Cover with cling wrap, freeze 4 - 24 hours. (Note 4)
• Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan) for 30 minutes.
• Line & fill with beads: Pick up crust using paper and place on tray (on the paper). Crumple 2 x 60cm / 2 feet long sheets of baking paper (Note 7) then fit into crust arranged in X. Fill with baking beads 1cm / 0.4" below rim (Note 8). Press to push paper into corners.
• Blind bake 25 min + 5 min: Bake 25 minutes, then use overhang paper to remove beads carefully (if sides look like they will cave in, return to oven with beads for 5 min). Bake 5 minutes then cool 10 minutes. (Seal any visible cracks with puff pastry scraps)
• Turn oven down to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
• Fill with custard: Remove Creme Patissiere from fridge. Whisk to loosen, scrape into crust - fill to 1cm/0.4" below rim. (Leftover custard Note 7) Smooth surface, brush custard surface with egg yolk (use it all).
• Bake 65 minutes, rotating tray 180° at 45 minutes. It will puff up in the last 15 ninutes like a souffle. Remove from oven - it will still be very wobbly, have faith! It will set when cool!Golden surface - If the top is not golden like pictured, switch on broiler to caramelise surface. Watch carefully - takes minutes!
• Cool on counter for 4 hours (in pan). Transfer to plate (still in pan), cover loosely with cling wrap, then refrigerate 12+ hours.
• Serve: Remove from fridge 1 hour prior to serving to bring to room temperature. Cut into slices like cake! The pastry is crispy & flaky. The custard will cut neatly (it will not ooze) but when you bite into it, the custard is beautifully soft and creamy. Traditionally eaten as a hand held bakery treat in France but you can use a plate if you're feeling civilised!
• Shelf life: Flan Pâtissier is at its best in the first 24 hours after it is put in the fridge after baking as this is when the pastry is still beautifully crisp. Beyond this the pastry starts to soften which no one has pointed out yet because everyone is besotted by the custard! But I notice. :)

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.;

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.