Description
A classic custard tart featuring a buttery lemon-infused shortcrust pastry filled with a smooth vanilla and nutmeg custard, baked to a delicate set with a slight wobble and finished with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 140g butter, chilled and diced
- 250g plain flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- Pinch of salt
Custard Filling
- 250ml double cream
- 250ml milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 1 strip lemon zest
- Whole nutmeg, for grating
- 8 egg yolks
- 100g golden caster sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Pastry: Rub the chilled diced butter into the plain flour along with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the golden caster sugar, beaten egg, and whole milk to bring the dough together. You can prepare this dough up to 2 days in advance and keep it chilled.
- Roll and Chill the Pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry and use it to line a 20cm tart tin, ensuring 2cm of pastry hangs over the edge. Chill the pastry-lined tin in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Blind Bake the Pastry Case: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas Mark 4. Line the pastry case with baking beans or pie weights and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the base is dry and biscuit-like. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (120°C fan)/Gas Mark 1.
- Make the Custard Filling: In a saucepan, bring the double cream, milk, split vanilla pod, lemon zest strip, and a small grating of nutmeg to a boil. In a separate bowl, beat the 8 egg yolks with the 100g golden caster sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture over the egg yolks, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a jug to remove solids. Let it settle for a few minutes and skim off any froth.
- Bake the Custard Tart: Carefully pour the strained custard into the pre-baked tart shell. Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the custard is just set and has a slight wobble in the center. Remove from the oven and trim the excess pastry edges away from the filling. Allow the tart to cool completely before slicing and serving, optionally with an additional grating of nutmeg on top.
Notes
- To avoid overbaking, look for a custard that is just set with a slight wobble in the center when done.
- Blind baking the pastry prevents a soggy base.
- The pastry and tart can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated before baking.
- If you don’t have baking beans, dried rice or uncooked lentils can be used for blind baking weights.
- Use fresh whole nutmeg for the best flavor impact.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: custard tart, lemon custard tart, baked custard, vanilla custard tart, traditional British dessert, lemon zest pastry
