Step 1

To make the pastry put the plain flour and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and stir them together

Step 2

Add the butter in chunks and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs. You can also do this using a fork, or in a food processor

Step 3

Add the milk slowly (you may not need it all, or you may need a little more, as different flour brands absorb differently) and stir it into the mixture until it forms a dough. Shape it into a ball, but avoid kneading it. Wrap it in clingfilm and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes

Step 4

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180C Fan/200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 and grease a muffin/cupcake tin with a little butter or baking spread. Add strips of baking paper to each cupcake hole so you can easily lift the tarts out once baked

Step 5

Roll out the pastry onto a floured work top. Keep the pastry moving as you roll it out so it doesn't stick, and add more flour to the surface and rolling pin as required

Step 6

Use an 4 inch (10cm) round cutter to cut out 12 circles of pastry, you may need to re-roll the pastry to get all 12

Step 7

Place the pastry rounds into the tin, use your fingers to gently shape the pastry to the holes in the tin, smoothing the sides down. Put into the fridge while you make the custard

Step 8

For the custard, heat up the whole milk and vanilla extract on a low heat until luke warm

Step 9

In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the caster sugar together until smooth

Step 10

Pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, continuously whisking as you pour. Then pour the mixture, through a fine sieve and into a jug

Step 11

Place the cupcake tin onto the oven shelf (you may need to support it with your hand in an oven glove), then pour the custard into the pastry cases using the jug. Fill up the cases as much as you can, then sprinkle the nutmeg over the top. Very slowly and carefully push the shelf into the oven, you do not want to spill the custard mixture over the sides of each tart

Step 12

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for the final 10 minutes. They are done when the custard starts to brown and blister on top, and the pastry looks golden around the edges and the custard has puffed up slightly (it will sink down as they cool)

Step 13

Take the tarts out of the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes in the tin. Then remove from the tin using the greaseproof paper strips to assist you. If any custard did spill over the edges you may need to run a knife around the sides too

Step 14

Store in the fridge and eat within 2 days