Are you a custard person? Do you daydream of pastries and desserts oozing with custard… Hmmmm… we’re thinking mille crêpes: layers of delicate, crispy edged crêpes lathered with dollops of custard… or a piece of warm, sticky Malva pudding ladled with custard… or perhaps a giant Puit d’amour- a Mauritian shortcrust tart filled with vanilla custard and dusted in coconut. Our custard dreams are wild and relentless; thus, a quick fix is of the essence. Enter our custard and cherry jam phyllo tartlets.
This dessert is all about the unctuous crème légère- a vanilla bean custard (crème patissière) lightened with whipped cream. Our custard and cherry jam phyllo tartlets are loosely based on puits damours. To bypass the pastry making, we fell back on phyllo pastry. Although the phyllo is merely a vehicle for the filling, the buttery crunchiness that it lends complements the smooth custard perfectly. Lastly, a spoonful of jam for extra sweetness and reminiscent of the glacé cherry half which adorns the original dessert. The elements of the dessert can be made days in advance and later assembled- making this a great dessert option when hosting!
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT CUSTARD AND CHERRY JAM PHYLLO TARTLETS
How many days ahead can I make the phyllo tartlets?
You can make the tartlets up to a week ahead and keep them in an airtight container. In the event they lose some crunch, you can also refresh them for a few minutes in a hot oven.
What if I do not have cherry jam?
Not to worry, you can substitute any other jam: strawberry, raspberry or even a marmalade or curd will work. You could also substitute with a dollop of chocolate spread.
Alternatively skip the jam altogether and top the custard with some fresh berries or tropical fruit.
Custard and Cherry Jam Phyllo Tartlets
Ingredients
For the phyllo tartlets
- ½ roll phyllo pastry
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1-2 Tbsp sugar
For the Crème Patissière
- 240 ml milk
- 35 g sugar
- ½ pod vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 25 g cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp butter (if using salted, skip pinch of salt)
- 1 pinch salt
For the Crème Légère
- 50 ml whipping cream
For the Assembly
- 3-4 Tbsp desiccated coconut
- 2 Tbsp cherry jam
- 2 Tsp chopped pistachios (optional)
- 2 Tsp freeze dried raspberries (optional)
Instructions
For the phyllo tartlets
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- Gather your mini muffin pan or tartlets moulds. You could also use a regular muffin pan and make wider but shallower tartlets.
- Unfold defrosted phyllo and cut into approximately 8-9 cm diameter circles (this will depend on the size of your muffin pan/ mould). Cover the phyllo with a damp kitchen towel whilst working to prevent it from drying out.
- Each phyllo tartlet requires 3 circles of the phyllo pastry. Brush a phyllo circle with the melted butter and sprinkle very lightly with granulated sugar. Layer the second round and repeat before adding on the last circle.
- Push the 3 layered phyllo circle into your mini muffin pan or mould and hold for a few seconds until it holds the tartlet shape.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked remove from the baking tray and set to cool on a rack.
For the Crème Patissière
- Beat the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl with the cornstarch.
- If using vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and scrape the seeps into a saucepan. Add the milk sugar and vanilla pod in the saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium heat.
- Gradually, pour the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Fish out the vanilla pod.
- Pour the mixture back into the pan and whisking constantly, cook on medium heat until it thickens and starts to bubble (3-4 minutes).
- Take off the heat and stir in the butter, whisking until fully melted.
- Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with a cling wrap. Make sure the wrap is pressed onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Allow to cool for 2 hours to overnight in the fridge.
For the Crème Légère
- Lightly beat the crème patissiere with a spatula or whisk to loosen.
- Whisk the cream with a beater until it holds soft peaks.
- Add a couple tablespoons of the whisked cream to the custard and fold until loosened. Then add the rest of the whipped cream and fold gently until homogeneous. Reserve in the fridge until ready to assemble.
For the assembly
- Place half a teaspoon jam into the tartlet. Next spoon the crème légère into the tartlet.
- Top with the desiccated coconut and chopped nuts and dried berries, if using.