As strange as it sounds, this recipe could pass as an express one, even though we have to make a custard cream. And the secret of today’s recipe lies precisely in making that cream fast, easy, delicious, and in just 10 minutes. The trick: the microwave, that great forgotten appliance we only ever bother with to heat up the morning milk.
What do we need?
For the cream:
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
40 g (1/3 cup) cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/2 liter (2 cups) milk
1 tablespoon butter
For the tartlet:
1 sheet of puff pastry
Sugar
Cinnamon
How do we make it?
First we prepare the custard cream. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in one bowl, and the egg yolks with the milk in another.
Then mix everything together and pop it in the microwave for 8 minutes at max power, stopping every 2 minutes to stir.
Once the 8 minutes are up, add the butter, stir, and you’re done.
Next, roll the puff pastry sheet out a bit with a rolling pin and sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon.
Roll the dough into a log, pressing it with your fingers so it doesn’t end up too uniform.
Cut it into several pieces and flatten each one to form a sort of mini-pizza.
Use a muffin tin (the kind with several holes, like little flan molds). Place each circle into one of the cavities and press it in to form a tartlet.
Pop it in the oven, preheated to 180°C (350°F), for about 12 minutes.
Keep an eye on it and press the dough down every now and then to keep the hollow where the cream will go.
Once baked, fill them with the cream, sprinkle with sugar, and brown them in the oven or with a blowtorch.
Tips:
Microwaves come in different wattages so the cooking time may vary. As you heat the cream, you’ll see it thicken until it reaches the consistency you want.
If you want to use the custard cream for another recipe that calls for a thinner cream, just cut down on the amount of cornstarch.
