Mandarin and Vanilla Custard Tart

Mandarins, Clementine’s, Satsumas – these small sweet citrus fruits have a more delicate flavour than oranges so work well with creamy custard. This tart is easy and the candied fruit decoration is optional.

Ingredients

• 2 sheets sweet shortcrust pastry, defrosted
• 1 ½ cups cream
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 Tbsp mandarin zest – approx. 4 good sized mandarins – see cooks tips
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup mandarin juice – approx. 3 -4 mandarins
• 40g sugar

Candied mandarins to decorate

• 1/3 cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 mandarins thinly sliced

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Fan bake

Grease a 24cm flan tin then line with pastry, jig sawing the pieces and pressing into place so they fit with an overhang all the way around.

Place on a baking sheet and line with non-stick baking paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove baking beans and bake a further 10 minutes.

Place the cream, milk and zest in a saucepan, add the vanilla and heat to a simmer. Simmer 3-4 minutes then remove from the heat.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks juice and sugar. Return the saucepan to the heat and pour the egg mixture into the cream, in a slow steady stream, whisking continuously then remove from the heat.

Without removing the tray from the oven pour the custard through a sieve directly into the tart shell and reduce oven temperature to 170°C. Bake for 30 -40 minutes till set but still slightly wobbly in the middle.

While the tart is cooking make the candied mandarins. Place water and sugar in a small saucepan, heat gently till boiling then add mandarin slices. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Cool then remove from syrup.

Cool tart completely and decorate with mandarin slices and a dusting of icing sugar if desired.

Tip

You could use the custard filling to fill pre made tart shells or make individual ones for a dinner party.ca