Prune Custard Tart Food

PRUNE AND CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Make pastry. Process flour, sugar, ground almonds and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk and enough of the water to process until ingredients come together. Enclose in plastic wrap, refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Grease 26cm (10½-inch) round loose-based fluted flan tin. Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line tin. Lift pastry into tin, ease into base and side, trim edge, prick base all over with fork. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced).
• Place tin on oven tray. Line pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Bake 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans, bake about 5 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven to 150°C (130°C fan forced).
• Blend or process prunes and brandy until combined, spread into pastry case.
• Bring cream to the boil in small saucepan, remove from heat. Whisk eggs, sugar and extract in small bowl, whisk in hot cream. Pour custard into pastry case.
• Bake tart about 20 minutes or until custard sets. Stand 10 minutes before serving.

PRUNE CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Two days before preparing the flan, toss the prunes with Armagnac or Cognac, cover securely and set aside to marinate. (If time is limited, you can skip the marinade and simply toss the prunes with the spirits, although the two-day marinade will offer a richer, more flavorful dessert.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 10 1/2-inch straight-sided ceramic baking dish.
• Add one tablespoon of sugar to the marinated prunes and toss. Place them on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, forming a single, tight layer that thoroughly covers the bottom of the dish.
• Place the eggs and three tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl and, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat until well blended. Add the flour and mix well. Add the milk and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until bubbly and brown, about 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature. This is just as delicious the next day.

FINNISH PRUNE TARTS

Steps:

• Blend dough ingredients with pastry blender.
• Add milk to soften as needed.
• Should make into 4 small or 2 large balls.
• Cover and chill dough overnight.
• Cook the prunes in water until soft.
• Drain.
• Press prunes through wire strainer or pureed in blender.
• Add the sugar and mix well.
• Roll out dough into large square in order to cut into 3 inch square Place a mound of filling in the center.
• Split each corner from the top to within 1/2 inch of the center.
• Fold one half of each corner to the center-- to form a star or pinwheel.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet- you may sprinkle croase grain sugar over tart.
• Let stand 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake in hot oven 400*F for 7 to 10 minutes- until light golden brown (they should be realitively pale).
• Remove and cool on rack.