spiced golden cream
With its golden crust and creamy filling enhanced by the warmth of sweet nutmeg, the traditional custard tart is a firm favourite for the autumn table “The dessert, properly prepared, contributes equally to health and comfort.” ‘The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook, and Baker’ (1864)
Serves 10
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 150g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing 150g caster sugar pinch of sea salt 6 eggs, plus 3 yolks 150ml double cream 250ml single cream 1 tsp vanilla paste 1 nutmeg, freshly grated Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the butter cubes. Stir in 75g of the sugar and the pinch of salt. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it is fully integrated. In a small jug, beat together 1 egg and 1 yolk. Add the egg mixture to the bowl and stir to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Knead lightly to bring them together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill for 1 hr. Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich cake tin with butter. Line it with greaseproof paper, cutting out a circle to fit the bottom and a strip of paper to go around the sides. Dust a clean work surface with flour, roll out the pastry to slightly bigger than the cake tin and line the tin with it. Fit the pastry to the bottom and sides, then cut away the excess to leave approximately 2cm extra at the top. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with uncooked rice. Leave to chill for 30 mins, during which time, preheat the oven to 190°C/ gas mark 5. Bake the pastry case for 15 mins, then remove the rice and paper. Using a knife, trim the pastry to fit the top of the tin. Beat an egg in a small jug, then brush the pastry with it, to seal. Bake the pastry case for 5 mins, then allow to cool. Turn the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, whisk the remaining 4 eggs and two yolks with the rest of the sugar. Off the heat, whisk the egg mixture into the cream, then stir in the vanilla. Pour the custard into the pastry case and sprinkle the nutmeg over it evenly. Bake for 50 mins until the custard is set. Allow to cool completely before loosening the edges with a table knife and removing from the tin. Cut into slices and serve.
The Wrendale Designs cookware collection features a range of countryside animals captured in a charming style. Hannah Dale, the creative force behind Wrendale Designs, is an accomplished artist inspired by the animals she sees around her rural Lincolnshire home and their captivating personalities. The delightful illustrations perfectly encapsulate the character of each irresistible animal. With a tasteful matt finish, each cake tin is illustrated both inside and out. The diameter of the tins measures: large 9.8in (25cm), medium 8.8in (22.5cm), small 7.6in (19.5cm).