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Mini Custard Tarts – A British Classic!
These small tarts are made with a shortcrust pastry case which is filled with egg custard and sprinkled with nutmeg before baking and are an absolute classic here in the UK!
In my (humble) opinion, these Mini Custard Tarts are best eaten once completely cooled or even chilled from the fridge.
Perfect for using up egg yolks…
Mini Custard Tarts are perfect for using up egg yolks, which are used to make the custard. You could, for example, use leftover yolks when making a meringue. Why not try making my Festive Chocolate Pavlova with Bailey´s Cream or Strawberry and Cream Meringue Roulade, and then use the egg yolks to make these Custard Tarts?
Making Homemade Shortcrust Pastry
I have used my basic recipe for sweet shortcrust pastry to make these mini custard tarts and added a pinch of nutmeg to the pastry for a little twist. For tips on how to work with shortcrust pastry, read my blog post about Mastering Shortcrust Pastry here.
Make sure you roll the pastry out quite thinly (mine was a little bit thick this time) to ensure that it will bake through completely!
You will need a 10cm round pastry cutter to make these mini custard tarts. If you don´t have one, I recently bought this set of round cutters which I really like!
If you want to improve your pastry skills, check out some of my other Baking Basics Posts:
– How To Make Puff Pastry | Baking Basics #3
– How To Make Hot Water Crust Pastry | Baking Basics #6
Try some of my other recipes!
For more recipes using shortcrust pastry, why not try making Mary Berry´s Bakewell Tart with Feathered Icing or Christmas Mince Pies?
For some savoury baking recipes, why not try making some of my bread, for instance, this Italian Rosemary Focaccia or my German Wholemeal Seeded Loaf?
Mini Custard Tarts
Recipe
Ingredients:
FOR THE SHORTCRUST PASTRY:
- 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150g cold butter, cubed
- 25g icing sugar
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, beaten
FOR THE CUSTARD FILLING
- 400ml (14fl oz) full-fat milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
Method:
- Prepare the muffin tin by placing thin long strips of baking paper across the bottom of each hole. This will make it easier to lift the mini custard tarts out of the tin once baked.
- Next, make the shortcrust pastry (My tips for success with shortcrust can be found here). In a bowl, rub together the flour and cold butter with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Then stir in the icing sugar and nutmeg.
- Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, and mix until the pastry starts to come together into a nice ball. You might not have to add all of the egg!
- The pastry is now ready to roll out. If it seems too sticky, chill in the fridge for a bit before rolling it out. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until about 2mm thick. Use the cutter to cut out 12 circles.
- Place the 12 pastry circles into the prepared muffin tray. Gently push the pastry into the bottom of the tin and ease the pastry up the sides.
- Chill the pastry cases in the fridge whilst you make the custard.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan.
- To make the custard, heat the milk with the vanilla in a small saucepan until just below boiling point. In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and frothy. Slowly pour the warm milk over the egg mix, whisking well (BE CAREFUL that the milk isn´t too hot, otherwise it will cook the egg and you will end up with scrambled egg!).
- Strain the custard through a sieve into a jug. Leave to stand for a few minutes and then skim some of the froth off the top using a spoon.
- Remove the pastry cases from the fridge and carefully fill them up to the top with the custard. Sprinkle a little extra nutmeg on top.
- Be careful not to spill custard over the edges of the tarts as you put the tray into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C or 160°C fan and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. You are looking for the custard to look set with a slight wobble and small dome.
This is some advice from Paul Hollywood´s Recipe if you over-bake the custard:
“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” (from the BBC website, find the recipe here). - Leave the mini custard tarts in the tin to cool. Remove the tarts from the tin by lifting them out with the help of your baking paper strips.
