Rich and creamy, this vanilla tart recipe is absolute perfection
There’s something so satisfying about a vanilla custard that cannot be surpassed.
This has to be the most classic of the classics. There’s something so satisfying about a vanilla custard that cannot be surpassed. The two things you need to nail for the perfect vanilla custard tart are the texture of the custard and showcasing the taste of the vanilla.
Try also my savoury tart recipe here.
Ingredients
- 475g pure cream
- 55g double cream
- 40g cream cheese
- 6g vanilla paste, or 1 vanilla bean
- 140g soft brown sugar
- 195g egg yolk (10-11 egg yolks)
- 1 x baked shortcrust pastry shell, see below
- Nutmeg, for grating
Method
- Preheat the oven to 125C. Add the creams, cream cheese, vanilla and brown sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from the heat. To temper the egg yolks, add them to a mixing bowl and whisk in a small amount of the hot cream mixture until well incorporated. Then add the remaining cream mixture and whisk again until combined.
- Using a handheld blender, blend until the mixture is shiny and smooth, keeping the head of the blender submerged so that no air gets into the mix. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug to use straight away – you want to keep it as warm as possible to ensure that the mixture cooks evenly in the oven.
- Place the prepared shell in the oven. Pour the custard into the shell until it is full to the brim. Bake for 30 minutes, or until slightly wobbly in the centre, then remove from the oven and allow to cool in the shell. Once the custard has completely cooled, remove the tart from the tin and portion into slices with a hot, sharp knife. To serve, grate a fine layer of nutmeg on top.
Shortcrust pastry
- 200g plain flour
- 100g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3g salt
- 50g water
- Place the butter, flour and salt into a bowl (this process can also be done in a kitchen stand mixer or food processor). Using your fingers, work the ingredients together until they resemble fine bread crumbs and no lumps of butter are present.
- Add the water a little at a time (or in a steady stream if using a kitchen stand mixer), until it forms a firm but malleable mixture. If you used a food processor earlier, it’d be best to finish this one off by hand. Move the dough to your benchtop and work into a puck-sized shape. Wrap with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Place the pastry on a piece of baking paper and cover with a second piece of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry into a circle roughly 35cm wide and 3mm thick. Allow the pastry to firm up again in the fridge for at least an hour before lining the tin (if lining the tin immediately, be sure to rest it for at least an hour). Remove one piece of baking paper from the pastry and drape the pastry over your tart tin. You may find this easier to do by using a rolling pin. Press the pastry into the knuckles of the tart tin using the flats of your fingers. Use a sharp knife to remove any excess from the edges of the pastry. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes or so in the freezer for one final rest.
- Take one large sheet of aluminium foil and gently press into the edges of the pastry shell, ensuring that the sheet is big enough to go over the edge and completely line the tart. Fill it to the brim with uncooked rice, then fold the foil gently back over the top and place into the oven.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry are a nice medium-golden colour. Remove from the oven and sneak a look under the foil to check the doneness. Cook until the colour is consistent, then allow to cool at room temperature. Remove the foil and rice when cool enough to touch.
This is an edited extract from Tarts Anon by Gareth Whitton.