CUSTARD TARTS

Makes6 Ready in 1 hr l l Low-calorie cooking spray (ideally butter-flavoured)

l 3 x 20g filo pastry sheets

l 300ml skimmed milk

l ½ level tsp vanilla extract

l 2 level tsp sweetener granules

l 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

l ½tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4, and spray 6 holes of a muffin tray with lowcalorie cooking spray.

Stack the 3 sheets of filo pastry on a clean, dry surface and cut into 6 squares – this will give you 18 small pastry squares.

Place 1 pastry square on the work surface. Spray another square with a little low-calorie cooking spray and place it spray-side down on the first square, at a slightly different angle. Add 1 more square to form an irregular starshaped stack of pastry. Pick up the pastry ‘star’, flip it over and press it down into a muffin hole, taking care not to poke any holes in the pastry. Repeat to make 5 more stacks and bake for 10-12 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove the pastry cases from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/ fan 130°C/gas 2.

Meanwhile, bring the milk, vanilla extract and sweetener just to the boil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Put the egg and egg yolk into a heatproof bowl and whisk together gently with a fork, trying not to incorporate too much air. Next pour the hot milk into the beaten eggs, then add half the nutmeg and mix together well. Strain the mixture into a heatproof jug. Pour this custard mixture into the pastry cases, then sprinkle each with the remaining nutmeg and return to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is just set – it will continue to firm up as it cools. These are delicious warm or cold.