Classic Italian Custard Tart with Pine Nuts
Ingredients
Dough
- 350 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 120 g granulated sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 150 g cold butter
- 1 large egg
- butter, for greasing the pan
- flour, for dusting
Filling
- 800 ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 45 g cornstarch
- 140 g granulated sugar
Garnish
- 30 g pine nuts
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Preparation
Mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a bowl
Add lemon zest, cold butter cut into pieces, and egg
Knead with your hands until smooth
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 60 minutes
Grease a tart pan
Preheat oven to 180°C (conventional) or 160°C (convection)
Heat milk in a saucepan until boiling
Split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add to milk
In a bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar until smooth
Whisk the egg mixture into the boiling milk and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until thickened
Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover directly with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool
Roll out the chilled dough on a piece of parchment paper to 5 mm thickness
Transfer the rolled dough to the tart pan using the parchment paper, then remove the paper
Trim the overhanging dough edges
Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork several times
Roll out the remaining dough on parchment paper into a 26 cm circle
Pour the cooled custard into the tart shell
Place the top crust over the filling, pressing the edges to seal
Decorate with pine nuts
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden
Let cool completely
Dust with powdered sugar
Tips
The dough can be chilled longer; wrapped in plastic, it can be stored in the refrigerator overnight
The filling can be stored in the refrigerator after cooling
This allows you to finish baking the tart the next day
