Flan Patissier with Vanilla Custard and Puff Pastry
A thick vanilla custard tart baked in a puff pastry crust and chilled until it slices cleanly.
Equipment
- Tart pan, 9 inch
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Rolling Pin
- Fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 vanilla beans seeds scraped, pods reserved
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 7 large egg yolks about 4 oz
- 1 large egg
- 7 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 ½ tbsp unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry 10 inch squares, thawed
- 1 egg yolk whisked, for brushing the pastry
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter for greasing the pan
Instructions
Cooking
- Heat the milk. Simmer the milk with the vanilla seeds and pods, then remove from the heat. Mix the base. Whisk the sugar, yolks, egg, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Temper. Whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture gradually, then return everything to the pan. Cook. Stir constantly over medium heat until thick and bubbling, about 1 minute more, then whisk in the cold butter.
- Cool. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and let the custard cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the crust. Preheat to 350 degrees F, grease a 9 inch tart pan, press in the rolled pastry, trim, and brush the rim with yolk.
- Bake. Fill with custard and bake 40 to 45 minutes until set and golden, reaching 160 degrees F in the center.
- Chill. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 3 hours before slicing.
Notes
Substitutions: Use 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste for the vanilla beans.
Tips: Stir the custard constantly and cool it fully before filling the pastry.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days. Do not freeze.