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Brûléed eggnog tartlets with clementines
Serves 8 Cakes, Bread and Pastries
Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- 120g butter, diced
- 75g icing sugar, sifted
- grated zest 1 clementine
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg white, lightly whisked
For the clementines
- 8 clementines
- 150g soft light brown sugar, plus extra for brûlée
- 100g unsalted butter
- 200ml Sauternes or Beaumes de Venise wine
- 1/2 vanilla pod
For the filling
- 600ml double cream
- seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
- 2 cinnamon sticks, bashed a little freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 whole cloves
- 6 large egg yolks
- 50g caster sugar
- 2tbsp bourbon or rum
- 6tbsp icing sugar
- 8 x 8cm tartlet tins
Method
You can make both the pastry and the clementines ahead of time, but you will need to warm the syrup through before serving as the butter sets once cold – it is best served just warm.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas 6. Make the pastry. Sift the flour into a food processor and add the butter, pulse briefly. Add the sugar and clementine zest and again pulse briefly. Add the egg yolks and 3tbsp cold water and blend until the dough just starts to come together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, gently form into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough equally into 8 pieces and roll each one out and use to line your tartlet tins. Line with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans and brush with a little of the whisked egg white. Return to the oven and bake for a further 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden. Leave to cool and reduce the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
Peel the clementines and place in a bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle remove any remaining pith.
Heat the sugar and butter together in a large pan and when the sugar is dissolved and the mixture boils, add the clementines and cook for 5 minutes each side. Remove the fruit and place in a large bowl. Add the wine and vanilla pod to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup is thick. Pour over the clementines and leave to cool to room temperature.
To make the custard, place the cream, vanilla seeds, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and cloves in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, strain in the infused cream and whisk into the egg mixture. Stir in the bourbon or rum. Pour the mixture into the pastry cases and bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is just firm. Remove from the oven and leave to go cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle each tartlet with icing sugar and use a blowtorch to melt the sugar until golden and set. Arrange the tartlets on plates and serve with the clementines and syrup.
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