Ingredients
- For the Creme Patisserie
- 500mls full cream milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 60g castor sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 40g plain flour, sifted
- For the Tart
- 200g caster sugar
- 200g salted softened butter
- 250g ground almonds
- 3 medium eggs
- 75g flour, sifted
- 4-5 tbsp crème patisserie (see recipe)
- 1 cooked blind 24cm x 3cm deep pastry case, with the edge nice and proud.
- 4-6 tbsp apricot jam to spread on the base
- 100g flaked almonds roughly
- 10-12 apricot halves canned in syrup or fresh
- 4-6 tbsp fondant icing sugar
- water
Method
For the Creme Patisserie
- Place the milk and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together, until thick and creamy.
- Add the flour and mix well.
- Pour on the milk then stir well, return to the pan and bring to the boil very slowly, stirring all the time in a figure of eight so no cream catches, until the mixture thickens.
- When boiling remove from the heat, and pour into a clean bowl, cover
- Pre-heat the oven to 190 C, gas 5.
- Beat together the sugar and butter until creamy.
- Add the eggs slowly, then fold in the almonds and flour.
- When the almonds and flour and half incorporated, then fold in the warm crème pat.
- Spread the jam on the bottom of the cooked pastry case.
- Using a large plain nozzle pipe the mixture in circles on top of the apricot jam.
- Sprinkle with flaked almonds the slightly push in the apricot halves, rounded side up.
- Bake in the pre heated oven for about 40-45 minutes, until risen and light brown in colour.
- The tart should be left slightly undercooked and squidgy.
- Once cooled to room temperature make up the icing nice and thin and brush over the flan and leave to set. You need to see the tart through the icing.
- Serve with clotted cream.