Description
Crème Brûlée Tart whispers elegance from classic French kitchens, blending silky custard with delicate pastry. Caramelized sugar crowns this sophisticated dessert, promising pure indulgence that transports you to charming Parisian patisseries.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 litre (1 quart) milk, full fat
- 2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped, beans reserved
- 120 grams (4.2 ounces) egg yolks (~6 to 7 large eggs, 100 milliliters)
- 1 large egg (55 – 60 grams / 2 ounces)
Thickening and Binding Ingredients:
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 7 tablespoons (70 grams) cornstarch
- 50 grams (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1 centimeter cubes
Pastry Ingredients:
- 2 sheets butter puff pastry, frozen (25 centimeters / 10 inches squares, 185 grams/6 ounces each)
- 1 egg yolk, whisked
- Butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry crust by carefully lining a tart pan with a delicate, buttery pie dough, ensuring an even thickness and neat edges around the rim.
- Protect the raw crust by covering it with parchment paper and ceramic baking weights, which prevent the pastry from puffing up during initial baking.
- Roast the crust in a preheated oven at 220°C/430°F for precisely 25 minutes, allowing the edges to become golden and crisp while maintaining a pale center.
- Remove the ceramic weights and parchment paper, then return the crust to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to achieve a perfectly dry and light golden base.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C/390°F and prepare the silky vanilla custard mixture, whisking until smooth and free of any lumps.
- Gently pour the rich custard into the pre-baked crust, taking care not to disturb the delicate pastry shell.
- Bake the filled tart for approximately 65 minutes, watching for a subtle wobble in the center that indicates the perfect custard consistency.
- Remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool completely at room temperature for 4 hours, ensuring the custard sets properly.
- Refrigerate the tart for a minimum of 12 hours to enhance its flavor and texture, allowing the custard to firm up completely.
- Bring the tart to room temperature before serving, which will optimize its delicate flavor and creamy consistency.
Notes
- Perfectly crisp pastry requires precise blind baking at high temperature to prevent soggy bottom.
- Custard sets slowly with gentle baking, creating silky smooth texture that jiggles slightly when done.
- Extended cooling time allows custard to stabilize and develop rich, creamy consistency.
- Use ceramic pie weights or dried beans during blind baking to maintain crust shape.
- Refrigerating overnight enhances flavor development and helps custard firm up completely.
- Serve at room temperature to experience the most luxurious, velvety mouthfeel of this classic French dessert.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 240 mg