Custard Tarts

 

 

The top pic shows the tarts in the oven - they flatten down a little once cooled

I went off to Wing Yip (Oriental Supermarket) to buy some Chinese soup bowls, and ended up buying loads of interesting stuff that I didn't really need - (no change there!)  However, I also picked up a Newsletter and found this lovely recipe for Malaysian Egg Tarts - not really that different from our custard tarts, but the pastry is made with icing sugar - and does make a lovely, easy pastry - (made in the food processor) ............

 

Oven: 200 deg. 15 mins : then lowered to 180 deg.C for approx. another 10/15mins.
Ingredients:

PASTRY:

225g (8ozs) plain flour

125g (4 ozs.) cold butter - cubed

60g. (2ozs.) icing sugar

pinch of salt and

approx. 3 tablespoons of very cold water

 

CUSTARD FILLING:

3 medium eggs

60g. (2 ozs.) caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

310ml. warmed whole milk or (skimmed milk plus a knob of butter)

 

1. (Make the Pastry in your usual way)
- -  add the diced cold butter to the flour and pulse the processor until you have breadcrumbs

2. Add the sugar and pinch of salt - pulse to mix.

3. Add your cold water and pulse the processor until you have collected a nice lump of dough.

4. Remove it and knead it lightly, on a floured surface,  until you have a smooth dough, cover in Klingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 15 mins.

 

5. Make the Custard - whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy, add the vanilla, and gently pour the warmed milk into the egg/sugar mix.  Stir well, creating little bubbles.

If you find your custard curdling - whisk in a small knob of butter.

 

6. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and cut circles, large enough to fit into your bun tins.  If these don't reach the top edge - using your finger, carefully 'press' the dough until it reaches the top.

7. Pour the custard into the pastry cases, to the top, and bake at 200deg.C for about 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 180 deg.C for another 10-15 mins until the pastry is looking golden and the custard is cooked -  If you insert a toothpick, this should stand up on its own.

 

Preferably! ..... leave  them to get cold, then very carefully lever them out, going around the edges first, then levering them out with a flat knife - this is tricky!  The only solution to this is to make one large flan and leave it in the tin!