Neenish custard tart recipe

Step 1

In a food processor, blitz flour, caster sugar and salt. Add cubed butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolk and 2 tbsp iced water and pulse until mixture comes together. Knead gently, shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry out into a 5mm disc. Roll pastry back over rolling pin, then lift and unroll over the top of a 22cm loose-bottom quiche tin. Gently ease pastry into tin. Trim the excess. Prick the base all over with a fork. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 170C conventional. Line pastry case with baking paper and baking weights. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove weights and paper and return to oven for 4 minutes until pastry is cooked through.

Step 4

Heat milk in a saucepan until just below boiling point. In a bowl, whisk eggs, extra caster sugar and vanilla. Pour in hot milk and whisk well to combine. Strain mixture back into a clean jug and pour into cooked pastry base. Return to oven and cook for 30 minutes until custard is just set.

Step 5

Cool completely in tin.

Step 6

To make icing, sift icing sugar and divide into two separate bowls. Sift cocoa powder into one. Whisk in softened butter and enough milk to create a firm spreadable consistency. Repeat with the plain one, then gradually add pink food colouring to reach desired colour.

Step 7

Place icings in piping bags or zip-lock bags, and snip the corner. Starting with the chocolate, pipe a line down the centre of the tart, then around the circumference just inside the pastry edge. Pipe to fill the semicircle then use a palette knife to smooth and fill any gaps. Repeat with pink icing on other side. Slice and serve.