Steam Combi Recipe: Summer Fruit Custard Tart

This is a very easy and quite delicious dessert.  You can either make your own pastry as described in the recipe or purchase a shortcrust frozen pastry. Look for one made with butter if possible.
The Apricot can be substituted with many other fruits. Peaches, Nectarines and Plums work really well.

The recipe makes  one large round tart or 2 long thin tart tins, and 8 small individual tarts
Use a loose-bottomed tin if possible for ease of removal from the tin

Recipe by Lauren Bavin, Cooking Technology Expert, Auckland

METHOD

For the Pastry:

1. Place the flour butter and salt in a food processor bowl and blitz until breadcrumb consistency.
2. Add egg yolk, and run processor until mixed in, then add water a tablespoon at a time pulsing just enough to mix in. Add water until the dough just starts to come together. Do not over mix.
3. Turn out dough and pull together with your hands .
4. Roll out dough into a large rectangle, then pull the top third down and the bottom third up so it sits on top of the top third in a stack of 3 layers.
5. Turn and repeat this action once more then refrigerate the dough until you are ready to make the tart.

For the Tarts:

1. While your dough is cooling, make the custard mixture by lightly whipping the eggs with the sugar and  mix in the milk and vanilla essence.
2. Cut fruit into halves or quarter slices (if you are using large peaches or nectarines you might want to cut in half, then cut each half into 3 wedges.)
3. Roll out dough to 5mm thick and line your tin or tins.
4. Prick the base of the tart with a fork.
5. Preheat your oven using Bottom and Fan or Bottom and Fan Forced with steam if available to 190C
6. Arrange the fruit on the pastry base. Add as much fruit as you like. This tart is better with lots of fruit.
7. Pour the custard over the fruit, so it reaches to approximately two thirds of the  up the sides of the tart tin
8. Place near the bottom of the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the custard is puffed and set.
9. Leave in tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove and dust with icing sugar if serving right away.
10. Serve hot, or warm with cream, yoghurt or icecream, or serve cold. Its delicious all ways!