Pretzel nut brûlée
This is my version of a custard tart, but it’s what's underneath and on top that really makes it special. The pastry is made with hazelnuts and salted pretzels that give it a crunchy nuttiness; and once baked, the custard is covered with sugar and blow-torched to create a crisp, sugary brûlée topping. Magical!
For this recipe you will need a 25cm/10in fluted loose-bottom tart tin, a food processor and a chef's blowtorch.
Ingredients
For the tart shell
- 50g/1¾oz blanched hazelnuts
- 50g/1¾oz salted pretzels
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, cubed and cold
For the filling
- 500ml/18fl oz double cream
- 75²µ/2¾´Ç³ú caster sugar, plus an extra 40g/1½oz for the topping
- 9 egg yolks (save some egg white to glaze)
Method
Start by making the pastry. Blitz the nuts and pretzels in a food processor to a fine crumb. Add the flour and process until combined. Add the butter and process briefly until the mixture forms clumps. Add 2 tablespoons cold water and process briefly until the pastry just comes together. If it is too dry, add an extra teaspoon of water. (Take care not to overwork the pastry as it will make it tough.)
Remove the pastry, and work it briefly using your hands to bring it together. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for half an hour.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it out between sheets of cling film (so you can get it as thin as possible) until large enough to cover the base and sides of a 25cm/10in fluted loose-bottom tart tin, with some overhang. Lift off the top piece of cling film and use the base cling film to gently flip the pastry on top of the tin. Peel away the cling fllm and push the pastry into the base and fluted edges of the tin. Trim off all the excess, then poke holes into the base using a fork and pop into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and pop a baking tray onto the middle shelf.
Take the lined tin out of the freezer, add a scrunched-up piece of baking paper into the tart shell and fill with baking beans or dry lentils. Pop onto the preheated baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take out the tart shell, including the tray, and remove the paper and beans. Return it to the oven to bake for 10 minutes without the paper, then brush it with a little leftover egg white and cook for another 2 minutes.
Take the tart shell out and leave to cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
Now onto the filling. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring just to the boil, then take off the heat. Add the sugar and egg yolks to a medium bowl and whisk well until combined. Gently pour the hot cream into the egg mixture in a steady stream, whisking all the time.
Pour the filling into the baked tart shell through a sieve (to catch any eggy lumps that might have formed). This will result in a super-smooth baked custard. Pop any bubbles on the surface using a toothpick.
Pop back into the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes. When you take it out there will be a slight wobble in the centre.
Leave to cool completely in the tin and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Once you are ready to serve, sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly across the top, avoiding the pastry edges. Using a blowtorch, heat the sugar until golden all over and leave to set for a few minutes. It is now ready to remove from the tin, slice and serve.