This easy homemade custard tart is the perfect healthy morning tea or afternoon tea snack. It's made from shortcrust pastry, eggs, vanilla and coconut cream - making it dairy free.
500mLmilk - I used a mix of coconut milk and homemade almond milk
I was a bit wary about heating up homemade almond milk too much as it tends to separatebut it worked well. I probably had 350-400mL coconut milk and the rest almond.
Cinnamon or nutmeg to dust the top
Instructions
Make your shortcrust and blind bake (either with or without the beads). I used a 26cm tart case, greased with tallow (beef fat - butter or ghee would work too).
Preheat oven to 160 C fan forced.
Whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla bean and tapioca flour. Whisk really well to combine the tapioca flour.
Gently heat milk on the stove top. Don't bring it to a boil, just heat it so if you were to stick your finger in it'd be hot but not burn your finger hot. Does that make sense? I had steam starting to rise but no bubbles. Let's say, 70ish degrees C.
Slowly pour the heated milk into your egg milk, while you're whisking the eggs. As you whisk you're aerating the eggs and mixing in the milk, without turning the eggs into scrambled eggs.
Pour egg/milk mix back into the egg pot. I placed this over the gentlest heat and whisked/mix for 5 minutes. This brings it back to a good gentle heat, without it boiling.
We're about to pour our custard into our tart BUT before we do that. ** This is an important step **​
​If you blind baked properly - this isn't for you - go to next step.​
If you blind baked without the beads, this means the sides of your pastry fell inwards and you don't have a way to contain your custard mixture while baking. I removed the pastry. Lined the tart case with baking paper, then poured the mixture into the case and baked separately without the pastry. Once baked, I put the pastry on top of the custard layer, then a plate and carefully flipped the custard upside down.
Pour mixture into your tart. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Check at 10 minutes, as this will depend on your oven. The custard should look cooked, no runny egg mixture visible. The centre should be springy and hold the tension as you press on it gently. But don't over cook.
Sprinkle with some cinnamon or nutmeg, whatever you've got.
Leave to cool until room temperature. Cut into it and enjoy.