Easter custard, blueberry and meringue tarts > Recipe

March 22, 2008

Filed under Easter Recipes
Tags: Easter, Easter Recipes, Food, Holidays

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Ingredients >
2 sheets of frozen sweet short-crust pastry, thawed
1 egg white, lightly whisked until beginning to fluff
100g blueberries
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
12 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
350ml cream
4 egg yolks
3 egg whites
170g white sugar, preferably castor sugar

Method >
Preheat oven to 180deg. Lightly grease eight 9cm tart tins and, using a large cookie cutter, press out circles and line the tart tins. Put in refrigerator for 20 minutes, then prick the bases with a fork and brush with first egg white. Put the tart tins on a baking sheet in the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes but don’t let it over-brown. Remove and cool.

Meanwhile, put the blueberries in a small pan over low heat and cook gently until the juices begin to run. Remove immediately and set aside. Put sugar, cornflour, nutmeg and salt in a double boiler or a bowl poised over simmering water, add 2 tbsp of the cream and stir to a paste, then add the rest of the cream.

Stir over the simmering water until the cream is quite thick. Remove from heat. Lightly beat the egg yolks and add to the warm cream. Beat vigorously to ensure a thick smooth custard, then add the blueberries and juices. Put aside until cold.

Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, add 13 of the sugar and continue to beat, adding the sugar in two more stages until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Divide the blueberry custard between the baked tart cases. Cover completely with meringue, piling it high. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden brown.