Custard tarts have been my favourite pastry since I can remember. My grandmother would always buy me custard tarts for a Friday afternoon when I would visit and recently I came across a recipe for them. They’d never been something I thought of making myself beforehand but they’re super easy, and super tasty. 

I N G R E D I E N T S :

165g Plain flour

25g Ground almonds

120g Unsalted butter, chilled and diced

55g Caster sugar

1 Medium egg

For the custard filling:

700ml Whole milk

7 Medium egg yolks, room temperature

90g Caster sugar

Freshly grated nutmeg

M E T H O D :

1. To make the pastry mix the flour and ground almonds together in a bowl. Add the butter and rub together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. 

2. Stir in the sugar and break in the egg. Work the mixture together with your fingers until it forms a soft dough.

3. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Form into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Whilst the dough is chilling, make the custard filling. Gently heat the whole milk in a medium sized saucepan until just below boiling. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy. 

5. Pour the milk onto the egg mixture in a steady stream stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into a jug with a good pouring lip. Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6.

6. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a 5mm thickness. Using a cutter 11cm in diameter to cut out discs until you have 12. Gently press each disc into a muffin tin to line evenly, the pastry should come slightly above the tin. 

7. Carefully pour the custard filling into the pastry cases. Sprinkle the centre of each tart with a pinch of nutmeg.

8. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6, then bake for further 10 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. The tarts are done when the custard filling has a slight dome but is still a bit wobbly. 

9. Leave the tarts to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before carefully removing them.

~ Jade xx