Smooth, creamy custard and crisp layered filo pastry are a match made in heaven! Such a gorgeous combination. Add jammy sweet figs, which are in season right now but not for much longer, and you have a simple yet luxurious dessert. This recipe is a useful one as it’s easy to change the fruit up to create a tart of your choice at any time of year.
Figgy Custard Tart - Makes 1 x 24cm tart
Custard
375ml milk
55gm caster sugar
3 x egg yolks
2Tbsp milk extra
20gm cornflour
1tsp vanilla bean paste
Fruit
4-5 x fresh figs
Tart
6 x sheets filo pastry
100gm butter, melted
COOKS NOTES
- Need a 24cm loose base tart tin to make tart.
- If filo is a frozen product, it will be best defrosted overnight in the fridge. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before using for ease of handling. Once used, roll back up and re-freeze leftover pastry, in original packaging or well wrapped in foil.
- Add an extra couple of filo pastry sheets if more pastry layers are liked.
- Whisk yolks in bowl large enough to hold volume of milk used. A stainless-steel bowl is ideal as it maintains heat from hot milk as it’s added to the yolks.
- If wanting to make a larger tart then add extra egg yolks for custard. For each yolk add an extra 130ml milk and 20gm sugar for this recipe.
- Careme Filo Pastry made in SA’s Barossa Valley is the best I’ve used. It’s so fresh and delicious. Buy online from MOT grocery delivery if you live in Perth.
- Use a bristle pastry brush for melted butter rather than a silicone one. The bristles brush over butter smoothly and evenly making it a quicker and easier job.
- Use fresh berries, diced mango or sliced stonefruit in place of figs.
- Dot cooked tart with passionfruit pulp on serving if liked.
- Serve with pouring or dolloping cream, Greek yoghurt or ice cream if liked.
METHOD
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C.
- Make custard. Place milk and sugar in saucepan and gently heat on stove, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile in bowl, briefly whisk egg yolks, milk and cornflour to a smooth slurry.
- Once milk is boiling (keep your eye on it!) work quickly. Remove from stove and immediately start pouring milk slowly into the yolk mix, whisking constantly. After a few seconds when about a quarter of liquid is combined, pour remainder in quickly (take no more than 5 seconds) whilst whisking; custard will thicken within 20 seconds or so. Once thick, stop whisking. Cool custard, stirring occasionally, while making pastry case.
- Slice 2 figs. Finely chop other 2 figs. Set aside.
- Melt butter. Brush filo sheet one at a time, laying the first vertically over half of the tart tin, allowing a little overhang. Place the next sheet directly opposite the first, ensuring they overlap on the middle of the base. Do the same with the next 2 sheets, placing them horizontally. And repeat with final 2 sheets, placing them off centre to ensure even layers of pastry.
- Scrape custard (doesn’t matter if it’s still warm) into pastry case and briefly smooth out. Dot chopped figs over top, then place on sliced figs.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until pastry is golden.
- Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes or so before cutting
