Categories: September

Ingredients

• 2 medium egg yolks
• 1 medium egg
• 200g caster sugar
• 300ml milk
• 270g plain flour
• 20g cornflour
• few drops vanilla extract
• 142ml carton double cream
• 110g chilled unsalted butter, cubed
• 110g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

Directions

1. Make the pastry. Put 250g plain flour, the butter and icing sugar in a food processor and whizz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the whole egg and whizz again until it just comes together. Tip out and bring together into a ball. Divide the pastry into 8 and roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface. Use to line 8 (10 × 2cm) greased, round, loose-bottomed, fluted tart tins. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/fan 160˚C/gas 4.

2. Line each tin with baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for 4-5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool.

3. Make the custard. Put the yolks, 50g caster sugar and a little of the milk in a bowl and beat together until pale and smooth. Stir in the remaining plain flour and the cornflour. Bring the remaining milk and vanilla to the boil in a small non-stick pan, then gradually beat into the egg mixture. Return to the pan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly – it will go very lumpy, but keep stirring and it will eventually turn smooth again. Transfer to a bowl, cover the custard’s surface with cling film (so a skin doesn’t form) and chill. Once cool, gradually beat in the cream.

4. Make the brûlée shards. Lightly brush a non-stick baking sheet with oil. Put the remaining sugar and 4 tablespoons of water into a heavy-based saucepan over a very low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and, without stirring, cook until just dark golden, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour on to the baking sheet. Cool. Break into shards with a rolling pin.

5. Fill the tart cases with the custard and level the top. Dust with icing sugar and top with sugar shards for a brûlée effect.

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