Flan Patissier - French Custard Tart

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: milk

💰Cheaper: evaporated milk

Milk reduces calories while maintaining creaminess.

vanilla bean

🥗Healthier: vanilla extract

💰Cheaper: vanilla essence

Extracts are more accessible and cost-effective.

Infuse milk: Place milk, vanilla seeds, used beans and 50g sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to just before boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, place lid on and leave to steep for 10 minutes.

Yolk mixture: Meanwhile, place egg yolks, egg and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cornflour and whisk until smooth.

Temper eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in about half the milk in a thin stream. Whisk until combined.

Thicken custard: Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan then whisk to combine. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken (3 to 5 minutes).

Stir 20 seconds after bubbles appear: When the custard is thickened and hot and you see the first big lazy bubbles appear on the base, whisk constantly for a further 20 seconds then remove from stove.

Butter: Whisk butter in until fully incorporated.

Strain & cool: Immediately strain into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Discard vanilla bean. Cover with cling wrap touching the surface. Cool on counter (3 hrs+) then refrigerate 12 - 24 hours.

Work with pastry as frozen as possible. Cut base out using the inside of the pan as a guide on one sheet of puff pastry. Cut three strips on the other sheet of puff pastry. Place base and sides back in freezer.

Butter and line the sides of a 20cm springform pan with a strip of baking paper. We are not using the pan base.

Place cake pan on a square sheet of baking paper on a plate. Remove cut puff pastry from freezer. Working quickly, line sides of cake pan with puff pastry, overlapping by 1cm, using water to seal.

Brush base of sides with water. Fit base into cake pan.

Use the back of a teaspoon to press base into the corner. Prick base 30 times with fork. Cover with cling wrap, freeze 4 - 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 220°C for 30 minutes. Pick up crust using paper and place on tray. Fit into crust arranged in X. Fill with baking beads 1cm below rim.

Bake 25 minutes, then remove beads carefully. Bake 5 minutes then cool 10 minutes.

Turn oven down to 200°C. Remove Creme Patissiere from fridge. Whisk to loosen, scrape into crust - fill to 1cm below rim. Smooth surface, brush custard surface with egg yolk.

Bake 65 minutes, rotating tray at 45 minutes. Remove from oven - it will still be very wobbly, have faith!

Cool on counter for 4 hours. Transfer to plate, cover loosely with cling wrap, then refrigerate 12+ hours.

Remove from fridge 1 hour prior to serving to bring to room temperature. Cut into slices.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens