Pastries Recipes - Vanilla Cream Tarts Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 10

For the dough:

• 200g/7oz butter (plus extra for greasing)

• 400g/14oz plain flour

• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 100g/4oz caster sugar

• 1 egg, plus 4 egg yolks (2 hard-boiled and finely crumbled)

For the filling:

• 3 egg yolks

• 150g/5oz caster sugar

• 125ml/4fl oz double cream

• 1/2 vanilla pod (split lengthways, seeds scraped out)

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2. To make the dough, cut the butter into the flour, then add the remaining ingredients and knead briefly but thoroughly. Wrap or cover the dough to prevent drying and allow to rest, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour.

3. For the filling, put the egg yolks in a saucepan and stir in the sugar, cream and vanilla pod. Cook over a low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens.

4. Remove from the heat and put the saucepan in a shallow pan of cold water to stop the cooking. Cool the custard, stirring  occasionally.

5. Roll out the dough and line buttered tartlet moulds with it. Fill the cases with the custard and cover with rounds of the dough.

6. Crimp the edges together to seal and bake the tartlets for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before un-moulding.