Nutmeg custard tarts

Makes 8 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

To make the pastry, whizz the ground hazelnuts and 4tbsp of the flour in a mini processor until finely ground. Transfer to a food processor with the remaining flour, the sugar, nutmeg and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Add the butter cubes and whizz together to form a crumb texture.

Separate the eggs and reserve 1 egg white (put the other in a sealed jar in the fridge and keep for up to 1 week to use in an omelette or meringue). Mix the yolks with 2tbsp cold water and add these to the processor and whizz until the mixture clumps together. Tip on to a large sheet of baking paper, flatten out a little, cover and transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes.

Cut the pastry into 6 equal pieces and thinly roll out, one at a time, then use to line the first 6 of 8 fluted, loose-bottomed tins, each measuring 9cm x 2.5cm. Use the off-cuts to reroll and line the remaining 2 tins, making sure there aren’t any splits, otherwise the liquid will run out. Put the tart tins in the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6 and put a baking sheet on a middle shelf to heat up.

Line the base and sides of the pastry with circles of scrunched up baking paper, add baking or ceramic beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and paint the
pastry with the reserved egg white to seal. Bake for a further 5 minutes until the bases are crisp. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150C/130CF/Gas 2.

Allow the tins to cool slightly, then loosen the pastry shells but leave them in the tins.

To make the filling, warm the milk and cream in a pan until a few bubbles appear around the edge of the pan then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs and sugar together with the nutmeg and gradually stir in the warm liquid. Carefully pour into the tart cases and dust with extra nutmeg, then bake for around 15 minutes until the custard is set.