Ingredients
PASTRY SHELL:
1 1/4 cups Self raising flour
1 tablespoon cornflour
75g cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
FILLING (adapted from Australia's best recipes "Homemade Custard Recipe)
5 egg yolks
4 tbs cornflour, heaped
4 cups milk
4 tbs caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
Ground nutmeg
Method
1. Sift dry pastry ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Add butter and rub the butter in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the egg and mix into a dough.
4. Turn pastry out onto either a lightly floured surface or onto a large piece of baking/greaseproof paper.
5. Roll out to an even thickness (approximately 2-3mm)
6. Lay pastry into a pie dish or tin, trim edges and patch as necessary.
7. Dock the base and sides with a fork. Line inside with a sheet of baking paper and pie weights (or dry rice/beans.
8. Blind bake pastry in a preheated 180°C oven for approx 10mins or until very lightly golden and firm
While the crust bakes, prepare the custard filling
9. Place milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and warm on a gentle heat, stirring regularly to ensure it does not catch on the bottom of the pan
10. In a small bowl, mix sugar and egg yolks until well combined
11. When the milk is warmed through but not bubbling, Pour off 2 small bowls of milk, approx 100-150 mL each.
12. Add cornflour to one bowl and mix into a slurry.
13. With the second portion of warm milk, pour it slowly into the bowl with the egg yolks and sugar, stirring constantly. This process is called tempering - it warms the egg slowly to a similar temperature of the milk in the pan and helps prevent accidentally making scrambled eggs instead of custard. Just trust me on this, 'kay? Now pour the egg/milk/sugar mix into the saucepan, whilst whisking constantly
14. Add the cornflour mix to the saucepan.
15. Keep whisking on low heat until the mixture thickens
16. Once the tart shell is parbaked, remove the baking paper and baking weights and pour the thickened custard into the shell.
17. Bake for an additional 10-15 mins or until the custard is jiggly, but not runny, and the pastry is evenly browned
18. Sprinkle top with nutmeg and refrigerate until completely cooled before serving
