Recipe: The Perfect Autumn Tart

Pastry

Ingredients:

• 250g flour
• 125g cold butter - cubed
• 1-2 tbsp chilled water

Method:

I like to use a savoury pastry case for this tart, as the custard and fruit deliver sufficient sweetness.

In a blender add your butter and flour and mix until a crumble is formed. Slowly add the chilled water until the dough becomes a ball.

Remove the dough from the mixer and knead lightly on a floured surface. Then roll into a ball, and flatten. Leave to chill in the fridge 10 minutes.

Prepare your tart tin by greasing it with butter.

Remove dough from fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface.  Roll out to fit your tart tin.  

Return to the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Heat oven to 180C and prepare your baking paper and heat beads (or rice, or beans).  

Cover your tart and blind bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beads and return to oven for 6 minutes.

Custard & Fruit topping

Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla bean - vanilla extract is ok, 1tsp
• 1 cup / 250ml heavy / thickened cream 
• 1/4 cup / 65 ml milk 
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup / 50g white sugar, preferably caster / superfine
• Fruit (source seasonal fruit, such as berries, plums, nectarines, and apricots)
• Mint sprigs
• Slice to top the tart 

Method:

Using a small knife, cut a slit down the length of the vanilla bean then scrape out seeds (or add 1tsp extract to the milk mixture).

Place cream, milk and vanilla seeds along with the vanilla bean into a small saucepan over medium heat. When it just comes to simmer, remove and cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until it becomes pale (2-3 minutes). Remove vanilla pod from milk and discard.

 While whisking, slowly pour milk into the eggs, ensuring your don't cook the eggs. 

Then, pour it back into the saucepan and return to the low heat while  whisking  constantly until the custard coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat.

Pour the custard into the prepared tart case and top with sliced fruit.

Can be refrigerated prior to serving, and you may like to add fresh mint sprigs. 

Enjoy!