Ingredients:

  • 155 g all-purpose flour
  • 25 g granulated sugar
  • 1.5 g fine salt
  • 115 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 large egg yolk (17 g)
  • 15 to 30 ml ice-cold water
  • 240 ml whole milk
  • 120 ml heavy cream
  • 5 ml vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs (100 g)
  • 2 large egg yolks (34 g)
  • 67 g granulated sugar
  • 8 g cornstarch
  • 1 g ground nutmeg, plus extra for dusting
  • 900 g fresh raspberries or blueberries (75 g per tart)

Instructions:

  1. In a food processor or large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse, or rub with fingertips, until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces, about 1 minute in a processor.
  2. Add the egg yolk and 15 ml ice-cold water. Pulse or stir until the dough just starts to clump. Add the remaining water only if the dough is too crumbly to hold together.
  3. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
  5. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thick. Cut out 12 rounds.
  6. Press each round gently into a muffin cup without stretching, letting the edges sit slightly above the rim. Prick the bases with a fork and chill the lined tin for 10 minutes.
  7. Line each shell with a small square of parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake 3 to 4 minutes more, until the shells look pale golden and dry to the touch.
  8. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (325°F).
  9. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, cream and vanilla over medium heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edges. Do not let it boil.
  10. While the milk warms, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and 1 g nutmeg in a heatproof jug until smooth and pale.
  11. Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the jug to catch any cooked bits or vanilla fragments.
  12. Fill each pastry shell about three-quarters full. Dust lightly with nutmeg.
  13. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through, until the custard is set: the edges no longer look liquid, the center wobbles slightly like a loose gel when the tin is nudged, and the surface is evenly golden with no dark spots. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 71°C (160°F).
  14. Cool the tarts in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack for 30 minutes more.
  15. Top each tart with fresh raspberries or blueberries (75 g per tart) just before serving, if using.