We’re so pleased to welcome Amanda Lowrenza of artisan baked goods store Amande (and our neighbour at the Carlton and Coburg Farmer’s Market) back to share another recipe!
This time, she’s crafted an amazing custard tart that uses leftover whey from creating the yogurt icing on her Orange and Saffron Cake – so it’s zero waste but extra delicious!
Amanda says:
This recipe was born because I had too much whey leftover from hanging the yoghurt for our Orange and Saffron Cake. I thought the whey had such good depth of flavour in it and it would be a waste to throw it away!
If you happen to not have whey but are still craving a custard tart, you can switch to full cream milk, or measure how much whey you have and adjust the quantity with milk – of course from Schulz, because they’re the best!
Also, this recipe is adaptable to other syrup, so if you only have honey in your pantry, use that! Malt syrup or molasses works well too. Happy custard baking!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
For the sweet pastry:
200g plain flour
40g icing sugar
Pinch of salt
100g Schulz Organic Fresh Butter, cold, cut into 1cm cubes
2 egg yolks
A splash of cold water
24cm diameter tart tin
For the treacle and whey crème anglaise (thin custard):
180g egg yolks (about 9 eggs)
90g condensed milk
40g treacle
50g caster sugar
2g fine sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
250g reduced whey (or replace/top up with Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk – learn how to separate your whey here)
400g Schulz Organic Pure Cream
Makes one 24cm tart.
METHOD
To make the sweet pastry:
In a food processor, put the plain flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a bowl and whiz until it becomes a breadcrumb-like consistency.
Put egg yolks in a small bowl and using a fork, break them up.
Add egg yolks into the mixture and whiz in pulses until the mixture is just combined.
Transfer the dough into a bowl. Dip your fingers into the cold water and use your fingers to bring the dough together.
Once it starts to come together, transfer onto your bench and with your hands, gently bring the dough into a homogenous mix. Flatten the dough into a round disc and chill in the fridge for at least one hour, wrapped.
To make the crème anglaise:
In a small saucepan, reduce whey to 250ml. Alternatively, top up your existing whey with Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk until you have 250ml. You can also completely substitute the whey with Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk.
Take the same saucepan and fill up with 5cm of water, then put on the stovetop and bring to a low simmer.
To a stainless steel bowl, add egg yolks, condensed milk, treacle syrup, caster sugar, salt and vanilla bean. Hand whisk the mixture until it forms a creamy paste.
Whisk in the whey and cream into the mix.
Place the bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water (double boiler), ensuring the boiling water does not touch the bottom of the steel bowl. Whisk the custard occasionally until it reaches 70°C.
When the custard reaches 70°C, switch to a spatula and cook until it reaches 80°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, you will know it’s ready when your custard is thick and glossy.
Immediately strain the custard through a fine sieve and let it cool at room temperature. Stir occasionally to release the heat.
Once room temperature, wrap the surface of the custard and chill in fridge.
Rolling the dough:
Lightly dust your work surface with some flour and dust extra on your rolling pin.
With your rolling pin, roll your dough into a 4-5 mm thickness.
To test if your rolled dough will fit into the tart, put the tart ring on the middle of your rolled pastry and check if you have enough pastry to go on the side of your tart ring.
Transfer your rolled pastry onto the tart and stick the pastry into the sides of your tart ring. Tuck the pastry into the edges of your tart with your fingers.
Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 175°C.
Poke some holes with a fork on your tart bast, cover with aluminium foil and fill it with baking beans or rice so the pastry doesn’t rise.
Bake at 175°C for around 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, when the sides become golden brown, remove the baking beans and foil and put back the tart in the oven. Cook for further 10 minutes so the base is fully golden brown.
Assembling the tart:
Lower the oven temperature to 120°C .
Put the blind-baked tart in the middle rack of your oven.
Carefully and slowly pour the custard into the tart, filling as far as you can, about 5cm (don’t overfill or the filling will cascade between the crust and tin)!
Set the timer for 40 minutes and then do the first wobble check. If you’re not sure if the custard is cooked, use a thermometer and it should read 80°C internally. Give it another five minutes if you think it’s still liquid.
Turn the oven off and keep the tart inside for another 10 minutes with the door closed. The tart should have set firm, and when you touch the surface it will bounce a little.
Let it cool down at room temperature and chill in fridge for at least two hours before consuming.
If you like, grate some whole nutmeg with a microplane over the top – or eat as is!
Amande don't currently have a brick-and-mortar store, but you can find them weekly at the Carlton Farmers Market – plus stay tuned to their Instagram for more news on collaborations and new menus!