Salted maple latte tart
This next-level custard tart features a coffee custard topped with a salted maple cream and finished with a light sprinkle of cinnamon
- 200g plain flour plus extra for dusting
- 40g icing sugar
- 20g ground almonds
- 125g unsalted butter chilled and diced
- 1 large egg yolk
- 300ml double cream
- 150ml whole milk
- 150ml very strong black coffee (preferably espresso)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 125g caster sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 eggs
- 300ml double cream
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- ground cinnamon
- To make the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar, almonds and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and ½ tbsp of ice-cold water, and pulse until the mixture starts to hold together in small clumps but has not yet formed a dough. Tip out onto a worksurface and use your hands to bring together into a dough. Form into a disc, wrap and chill for 1 hr until firm.
- When ready to bake, roll the pastry on a lightly floured worksurface until 3mm thick and a few centimetres wider than a 23cm-wide, 3.5cm-deep, loose-bottomed tart tin. Gently roll the pastry onto the rolling pin and drape into the tin. Roll the rolling pin over the edge of the tin to cut off the excess pastry. Dock the pastry with a fork and chill for at least 30 mins.
- Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the tin onto a baking tray. Line the tin with a piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice, then bake for 25 mins. Remove the paper and beans, and bake for 5 mins or until the base is golden brown.
- For the custard, pour the cream, milk, coffee and vanilla into a large pan, and stir in half of the caster sugar. Put the pan over a medium heat and bring just to a boil. Meanwhile, put the remaining caster sugar, the yolks and whole eggs into a large bowl, and whisk until smooth and pale. Pour the hot cream over the eggs, whisking as you pour to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Carefully transfer the custard to a large jug.
- Put the tray with the tin back into the oven and very carefully pour in the custard – it should completely fill the pastry. Bake for 55 mins-1 hr or until the edges of the custard are set and the centre is still a little wobbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 mins before transferring to the fridge for at least 3 hrs to cool completely.
- When ready to serve, whisk together the maple cream ingredients in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks. Dollop onto the tart and spread to cover most of the custard. Finish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon. The tart is best served on the day but can be chilled for a couple days if needed.
SWEET PASTRY
- 200g plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 125g unsalted butterchilled and diced
COFFEE CUSTARD
- 150ml very strong black coffee (preferably espresso) - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
TO SERVE
- step 1To make the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar, almonds and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the yolk and ½ tbsp of ice-cold water, and pulse until the mixture starts to hold together in small clumps but has not yet formed a dough. Tip out onto a worksurface and use your hands to bring together into a dough.
Form into a disc, wrap and chill for 1 hr until firm. - step 2When ready to bake, roll the pastry on a lightly floured worksurface until 3mm thick and a few centimetres wider than a 23cm-wide, 3.5cm-deep, loose-bottomed tart tin. Gently roll the pastry onto the rolling pin and drape into the tin.
Roll the rolling pin over the edge of the tin to cut off the excess pastry. Dock the pastry with a fork and chill for at least 30 mins.
- step 3Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the tin onto a baking tray.
Line the tin with a piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice, then bake for 25 mins. Remove the paper and beans, and bake for 5 mins or until the base is golden brown.
- step 4For the custard, pour the cream, milk, coffee and vanilla into a large pan, and stir in half of the caster sugar. Put the pan over a medium heat and bring just to a boil.
Meanwhile, put the remaining caster sugar, the yolks and whole eggs into a large bowl, and whisk until smooth and pale. Pour the hot cream over the eggs, whisking as you pour to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Carefully transfer the custard to a large jug. - step 5Put the tray with the tin back into the oven and very carefully pour in the custard – it should completely fill the pastry.
Bake for 55 mins-1 hr or until the edges of the custard are set and the centre is still a little wobbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 mins before transferring to the fridge for at least 3 hrs to cool completely.
- step 6When ready to serve, whisk together the maple cream ingredients in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks. Dollop onto the tart and spread to cover most of the custard.
Finish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon. The tart is best served on the day but can be chilled for a couple days if needed.