Vanilla malted milk custard tart
I’ve dismantled everything about the custard pies of my
childhood – spongy pale shortbread filled with bland milk
custard and old grated nutmeg over the top. I’ve ‘re-mantled’
them as an adult – crisp brown shortbread filled with a real
vanilla, creamy, subtly malt-flavoured custard. Nutmeg remains,
but freshly grated, not pinched from a pre-ground tub. Bake
a Gingerspice angel food cake (page 172) to use up all the egg
whites after this.

Cook and strain the crème anglaise as per the recipe. This can be done
just before baking the tart or the day before and slowly re-warmed.
If the filling is cool, the tart will take longer to bake. Remove the
vanilla pod.

Pre-cooking the filling makes a creamier baked custard.

Preheat your oven to 120°C (250°F) and adjust the oven racks – set
one in the lower part of the oven, then remove all the ones above so
there’s space to manoeuvre a jug in easily to pour the filling in later.

See Don’t leak: how to win at liquid-filling tart life (page 94).

Place the blind-baked crust, still in the tin, on a shallow baking
tray.* If there are any large cracks or dipped sides, massage a little
leftover dough to a soft paste consistency and gently patch any large
fissures – taking care not to press hard and break the crust. Then
meticulously brush the inside of the tart with enough whisked egg
white to lightly coat.

Return the baking tray and crust to the oven and bake for 3 minutes
to seal the crust before filling. With the tart in place, and your eye on
where the crust edge is lowest, carefully and slowly pour the custard
into the crust to fill as far as you can. If your jug, when tilted, is too big
for the oven, switch to a smaller cup to scoop out the last of the mix.

Don’t overfill, or the filling will cascade between the crust and tin.

Makes A deep 23 cm (9 in) tart

Keeps 2 days, chilled.

to serve 6–8 (shallower tarts won’t
give you the milky, silky depth).

Takes With a blind-baked crust, just

over 1 hour to mix and bake, plus chill
time. You can make the filling the day
before, chill overnight, then warm it
slightly before filling the crust.
1 × batch Vanilla malt crème
anglaise (page 262)
1 × batch Crème fraîche
shortbread crust (page 68)
or Brisee butter crust (page
71) rolled into a 23 cm (9 in)
round × 5 cm (2 in) deep
fluted tart tin and blind baked
(deeper tins are best to get
that classic thick custard
layer)
30 g (1 oz) egg white
(from approx. 1 egg),
lightly whisked
½ to 1 whole nutmeg,
depending on your
nutmeg love level