Stir in the sugar, egg yolk and 2 teaspoons water. Rub the butter between your fingers, incorporating the dough until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. To a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and butter. They will keep up to 3 days refrigerated in a sealed container. If you use molds that are deeper, you will run out of filling as the recipe yields just enough for this specified size. The mini tart pans/molds that I used are fluted, which give them a pretty presentation and measure 2 3/4” (7cm) wide by 3/4” (2cm) high. Times are estimated and will depend on your oven. Bake at 400☏/200☌ for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 350☏/176☌ (if you see it browning too soon, turn it down sooner) then bake for a further 10 minutes until the pasty is browned and the custard is set but will still have a slight wobble in the center. But this recipe is customizable because you can also make it into a larger 9-inch (23 cm) tart. I choose to make these in individual sizes because I love the crust edge. This would be perfect for a low carb/keto treat. You can add vanilla if you like.Ĭustard is a very popular dessert in the British isles and not only comes in the form of tarts, but is also served as a hot sauce called ‘English Custard’ which is served over sweet pies, puddings and another classic, Rhubarb and Custard.Ī popular and modern twist on this recipe is to serve just the custard that is baked in small ramekins without any pastry. Vanilla being the most popular flavor to add to custards, you will see that I list it as optional in the recipe as I don’t normally add it to this recipe as the nutmeg is the dominant flavor. Vanilla in custardĬustard flavors can be customized by adding citrus or extract. This recipe is a traditional, family recipe from my childhood in England when my mum would make a Sunday afternoon tea of finger sandwiches and these must-have pastries. Over time, they have become a popular ‘grab-and-go’ dessert that are sold in bakeries and grocery stores in the UK. Depending on the type of custard, some may also require a starch. Once made, stirred custards are also often combined with other ingredients to form a variety of other desserts and to create unique flavors and fillings.Īll custards contain the same basic ingredients: eggs and/or egg yolks, a liquid and flavorings. Stirred custards, such as the one I use in Rhubarb and Custard Spring Orange Custard and Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries are typically soft and most often have a pourable consistency however, depending on the ingredients used, they can also be quite thick (tart filling). Common examples of baked custards are crème caramel (also known as flan), crème brûlée, cheesecake, bread pudding, pot de crème, quiche and savory flans. There are 2 different custard types, baked and stirred, baked custards are typically firmer than stirred and (like this recipe) are baked in the oven and set from the heat. But being British, of course, I like to say the Brits came up with this delicious treat because they’ve been around since the medieval times and that’s good enough for me! Different custard types

There is an age old debate as to who invented them first.

Interestingly, I recently learned that these tarts are also popular in China and Portugal. Old Fashioned Egg Custard Tarts (or egg custards) are a classic British pastry that are simply a homemade, flaky pastry filled with egg, custard, a sprinkling of nutmeg and then baked.Ī wonderful home baked treat that is a great use for any eggs that may be expiring, eggs you just need to use up or your eggs came home broken from grocery shopping.

Egg tart recipe bread maker