honey custard tart

a recipe for weekend baking

What I’m reading: Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding - so far, slightly depressing but gripping

What I’m listening to: Lorde’s new album - on repeat

What I’m eating: dinner at Canteen with my siblings - I simply cannot recommend enough if you haven’t been already (below)

This honey tart has been on the menu at the Fat Badger for the last couple of weeks, and IMHO, it’s a winner. I used a classic sweet pastry recipe for the base, and then for the custard, I swapped the sugar out (there’s no sugar at all in the filling) for honey. After some tweaking, I think this recipe is even more foolproof than a classic custard tart - there’s something about the way the honey bakes in the custard that makes it a little more sturdy and reliable.

We use the most incredible honey from Epping Forest, which is quite floral and very complex, and the flavour really comes through - but if you’re using a honey with a more basic flavour profile, you can infuse the custard with aromatics before baking if you like. Thyme and citrus peel are both good options for this. We’ve been serving it with a little dollop of crème fraîche and blackberry compote, but any seasonal fruit would work well here.

The recipe below is for one tart, but I highly recommend scaling the pastry recipe up 3 or 4 times, and then dividing it up and keeping a few batches of pastry (wrapped in a disc in paper or clingfilm) in the fridge or freezer. It’s a very versatile pastry which you can use to whip up a tart at a moment’s notice - plus the pastry tends to work better in a slightly bigger batch, especially if you’re using a stand mixer.

recipe: honey custard tart