Custard Tart with Sweet French Pastry Crust

By awright0511

Ingredients

• Sweet French Pastry Crust
• MAKES ENOUGH CRUST FOR ONE 9-INCH TART
• Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk (low-fat is fine, nonfat is not), about 100 degrees F
• 1 extra-large egg white
• Custard Filling
• MAKES ENOUGH FOR ONE 9-INCH TART
• Ingredients
• 3 extra-large eggs, plus 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk (low-fat is fine, nonfat is not)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum and salt, and mix to combine. Add the sugar and yeast, then the egg yolks and butter to the flour mixture, and cut in the butter until it is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture. You can use a pastry blender to do this, two knives in a cutting motion (like you’re cutting a steak), or you can blend it all with your hands.

2. Add the milk a few tablespoons at a time and mix with your hands until the mixture begins to hold together. You may not need all of the milk. If you add too much, and the dough gets sticky, just add a tablespoon or two of flour to compensate.

3. Once the dough has come together, cover the bowl and place it in a warm, humid spot to allow it to rise until it has risen to less than doubled in volume.

4. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured flat surface and roll it out until it is about 1/8-inch thick (about the width of a nickel). Like this …

5. Grease a 9-inch tart plate and carefully lift the crust into the plate, concentrating on the center, and working your way out toward the sides. Trim off any excess crust above the rim of the tart plate….

6. Then, using a pastry brush, brush the entire pie crust with the egg white. This will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy during baking

7. Pierce the bottom of the crust repeatedly with the tines of a fork to prevent the crust from inflating during baking

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium size bowl, place the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla, and mix until just combined. Set the bowl aside while we scald the milk.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk and butter, and, stirring constantly, bring the milk to a boil. Don’t stop stirring, or the milk will burn and boil over and believe me when I tell you that it’s a mess to clean up. This whole thing should take about 6 or 7 minutes.Then remove it from the heat.

4. Once the milk has scalded, walk the saucepan on over to the egg mixture. Temper the eggs by adding the scalded milk to the egg mixture, a tablespoon at a time, for about, oh, 5 or 6 tablespoons, whisking constantly. Next, begin to pour the rest of the milk into the egg mixture, super super slowly, but do not stop whisking.

5. Pour the custard into the prepared crust. The tart plate will be very full. Not to worry – the filling won’t rise during baking.
6. Cover the exposed edges of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Place the tart in the center of the preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil from the crust edges, and bake for another 8 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The custard will still be a bit, for lack of a better word, jiggly.

7. Allow the tart to cool completely, and then chill, before serving. If you get impatient, cool for a few minutes and then put the whole thing in the freezer before serving.

You’ve worked so very hard. Enjoy some custard tart.