CANDIED CUMQUAT AND CUSTARD TART

This Candied Cumquat and Custard Tart is a heavenly combination of creamy vanilla custard, buttery cookie crust and tangy candied cumquats. 

Perfectly balanced in every bite, this dessert is sure to please any palate.

**Makes 5 tarts.

Equipment

• food processor
• tart pan
• fine mesh strainer
  

Ingredients

Tart Crust

• 1 1/2 cups Digestive biscuits or any plain butter biscuits will work well
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

Custard Filling

• 2 cups Milk
• 1/3 cup Plain Flour
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (can substitute with vanilla extract)
• 2 tablespoons cumquat syrup
• Candied Cumquats

Method

Tart Crust

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2. Pulse the Digestive (or butter biscuit substitute) in a food processor until you have about 1 ½ cups of crumbs.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, almond flour, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix until it resembles wet sand. 
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of the tart pan and slightly up the sides. Make sure it is tight and compact! You can use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to help pack down the crust.
5. Bake the crust at 180°C / 350°F for about 15 minutes or until it's lightly golden brown and looks dried out.
6. Let it cool to room temperature before filling.

Custard Filling

1. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth and set aside.
2. Scald the milk in the microwave or on the stove top until it is almost boiling. (I prefer the microwave because there is no chance of burning the milk).
3. In a large saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
4. Over medium-low heat, slowly add in the milk about ½ cup at a time while whisking constantly.
5. As the filling begins to thicken, add in another ½ cup of milk and continue whisking.
6. Once all of the milk is added and the filling has thickened (enough to coat the back of a spoon), remove the saucepan from the heat.
7. Pour about ½ cup of the filling into a glass measuring cup and then slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully combined and smooth.
8. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling has thickened to a pudding consistency.
9. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until smooth. 
10. Add in 1-2 tablespoons of Cumquat Syrup if desired.
11. Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
12. Cool the filling almost to room temperature, stirring occasionally, before pouring into your cooled tart shell. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (at least 3 hours) to let the filling set.
13. Top with Candied Cumquats and enjoy!
14. Store the tarts covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    

Notes

The most important step in making the custard is tempering the eggs. I know that sounds scary, but I promise it's not that hard! Tempering just means that you'll slowly add a small amount of hot liquid to the beaten eggs so that the temperature rises slowly and they don't scramble (trust me, you don't want scrambled eggs in your custard!

Once the filling mixture is scalding hot, you'll remove about ¼ cup and place it into a glass measuring cup (the best for pouring hot liquid) and then slowly drizzle the syrup into the beaten eggs while whisking. Then you'll add the warm egg mixture back into the rest of the custard. 

This recipe can be used to make a few different sizes of tart:

• 1 - 9.5 inch tart
• 2 - 7 inch tarts
• 5 - miniature tarts