Custard tart

Custard tart

With buttery pastry and a creamy filling, it's no wonder this dish has become a classic

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 25 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 20 mins

Plus chilling

Method

  1. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg and milk and bring together to form a dough. This can be made 2 days in advance.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out and use it to line a 20cm tart tin, leave 2cm of pastry hanging over the edge. Chill for 30 mins.
  3. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the case with baking beans, bake blind for 20 mins, then remove the beans and continue to cook for a further 20 mins until the base is biscuity. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
  4. Bring the cream, milk, vanilla pod, lemon zest and a small grating of nutmeg to the boil. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then pour the hot milk and cream over, beating as you go. Strain custard into a jug, allow to settle for a few mins, then skim off any froth.
  5. Carefully pour the custard into the tart case, grate some more nutmeg over the top and bake for 40 mins or until just set with the very slightest wobble in the middle. Remove from the oven, trim the pastry edges off (away from the filling), then leave to cool completely before serving in slices with a grating more of nutmeg, if you like.

Per serving

593 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 53g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 1g, sugar 29g, salt 0.33 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo loorien

    27 August 2011

    loorien rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    When I first saw this recipe, I was not keen on it as it only needs 8 egg yolks and I did not know how to use the egg whites (we neither like meringue nor wasting food). However I found a superb layered chocolate mousse recipe which needed only egg whites, so I gave this tart a go and used the egg whites for the mousse the next day. It was a great hit, it was so difficult to stop after one serving! The nutmeg works very well with the vanilla flavoured custard cream. I will definitely make it again!

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  • Binder photo suant1901

    28 August 2011

    suant1901 commented on this recipe

    This is a great tart, made it last night for pudding after a roast and it was perfect, not too heavy at all and now none is left. Next time I will make a berry compote to go with it and make a second one and it didn't last too long at all. I would describe this tart as a mix between a custard tart and a lemon tart but importantly it was Devine will definitely make this again

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  • Binder photo Néad

    29 August 2011

    Néad rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Moss2009

    10 September 2011

    Moss2009 commented on this recipe

    Made this for my dad as it's his favourite. He loved it, the filling is very rich and delicious and the pastry is great very very nice custard tart.

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  • Binder photo Moss2009

    10 September 2011

    Moss2009 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Sorry forgot to rate !

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  • Binder photo antofanto

    21 October 2012

    antofanto rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    My first attempt at making a custard tart, and I don't have much experience with pastry either. Went pretty well! Nice and delicate sweet pastry, and soft vanilla and nutmeg flavour of the custard. I didn't use lemon zest in custard or pastry. Also, top tip if you're new to pastry like me - I ignored the bit about leaving 2cm extra pastry, as I wanted a neat edge. However, as I realised, the pastry shrinks in the oven, which makes it even harder to keep the custard from spilling over the edges, so best to leave high edges.

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  • Binder photo deanosars

    24 November 2012

    deanosars rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Kez_3101

    29 March 2013

    Kez_3101 rated this recipe

    4 stars

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 25 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 20 mins

Plus chilling

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY

  • 140g butter , chilled and diced
  • 250g plain flour
  • zest 1 lemon
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 1 tbsp whole milk

FOR THE CUSTARD

  • 250ml double cream
  • 250ml milk
  • 1 vanilla pod , split
  • 1 strip lemon zest
  • whole nutmeg
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 100g golden caster sugar
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Per serving

593 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 53g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 1g, sugar 29g, salt 0.33 g

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