Description
Clementine custard tarts are delightful individual tarts featuring a crisp puff pastry crust infused with clementine zest and filled with a creamy, citrus-infused custard. These tarts combine the bright, tangy flavor of clementines with smooth, rich custard, baked to golden perfection and optionally dusted with icing sugar for a delicate finish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pastry:
- 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 2/3 of the zest of 3 clementines
For the Custard:
- 6 clementines, 3 zested and all juiced (about 240ml juice)
- 2 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 450ml whole milk
- Remaining zest of 3 clementines
To Finish:
- Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Reduce the Clementine Juice: Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour the freshly squeezed clementine juice into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Allow it to reduce until approximately 50ml remains, which should take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Prepare the Pastry: Unroll the ready-rolled puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Evenly scatter two-thirds of the clementine zest over the surface of the pastry. Roll the pastry tightly from one of the short ends into a spiral. Cut the spiral along its length into 12 equal 2cm-wide rounds. Gently roll each round into a circle roughly 10cm in diameter. Line each hole of a 12-hole muffin tin with one pastry round. Place the tin in the fridge to chill until you are ready to fill.
- Make the Custard Mixture: In a saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cornflour, caster sugar, reduced clementine juice, and the remaining clementine zest until smooth. Gradually add the milk while whisking continuously to create a uniform mixture. Place the saucepan over low-medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it thickens and begins to simmer, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Cool the Custard: Remove the custard from heat and pour it into a jug. Allow it to cool slightly for a few minutes, whisking occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
- Fill and Bake the Tarts: Remove the chilled pastry cases from the fridge and fill each one almost to the top with the custard. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the custard has a slight golden-brown hue on top.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the tarts to cool completely in the muffin tin. Once cooled, optionally dust with icing sugar before serving to add a subtle sweetness and decorative touch.
Notes
- Use whole milk for a richer, creamier custard.
- Extra egg whites can be frozen and later used to make meringues.
- Ensure the custard is whisked regularly while cooling to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chilling the pastry cases before filling helps maintain the crispness during baking.
- Adjust sugar quantities in the custard to taste, depending on the sweetness of the clementines.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: clementine custard tarts, citrus custard tarts, puff pastry desserts, easy custard tart recipe, British tarts, citrus dessert
