Egg Custard Tart

I’ve been on a cakespirit quest recently - in search of a delicious, minimal-fuss, low-carb equivalent of shortcrust pastry. The hope has been that a world of pudding, closed to me since the day I stopped eating sugar and high carb food, would re-open…... Namely, the wonderful world of SWEET TARTS!

Countless pastry permutations have been tried these last weeks, each time ingredients slightly nipped and tucked. With low carb and/or grain free eating, almond flour tends to be the go-to wheat replacement in foods such as cake, bread or pastry. Its just as delicious and nutritious and it works really well.

Not everyone can tolerate nuts, so I've tried making pastry with ground seeds. The flavour and texture is every bit as good and comforting. If you have a nutribullet or food processor it's just as easy to make.

Freshly ground seeds are a little more oily than almonds, the pastry needs less egg and butter and possibly a little coconut flour worked into the pastry dough at the end to ensure a good consistency for rolling out.

PASTRY BASE (Seed flour version)
150g ground seeds (I used 65g pumpkin, 65g sunflower, 20g sesame)
1-2 tbsp of coconut flour (enough to bring the dough to the right consistency for rolling)
½ egg - beaten
5g melted butter
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground Erythritol (Brown sugar replacement version if poss)

PASTRY BASE (Almond flour version)
150g almond flour
1 egg- beaten
20g melted butter
1tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground Erythritol (Brown sugar replacement if poss)

EGG CUSTARD
3 eggs and 1 yolk
200ml cream
Splosh of milk
3 tbsp ground Erythritol (Brown sugar replacement if poss)
1 tbsp vanilla paste
½ tsp nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven - Gas Mark 3/ 150C

For the pastry:
Put the seed/nut flour in a bowl. Add spice and sweetener and mix.
Add the melted butter and egg and blend well.
Use your hand to bring the mixture together into a pastry dough.
If the mixture is a little bit crumbly for rolling out - add a tiny bit of oil and work it into the dough to bind it. (This sometimes might be needed with the almond flour version).
If the mixture is too moist to roll-out, work in a little coconut flour until the pastry is a good consistency. (This might be needed with seed flour version).
Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until it is roughly the right size and shape to fit your dish. (I used a 20cm dish).
Remove the top layer of baking paper when ready, place the buttered pie dish on the top. Then turn pastry and dish the right way up.
Carefully remove the top layer of baking paper and press the pastry into the dish. You may need to cut and paste bits of surplus pastry to cover the dish as evenly as possible.
Bake the pastry in the oven for 10-15 minutes until its just started to firm up.
Set the dish to one side.

For the egg custard:
Beat the eggs, cream, milk, sweetener and vanilla paste together in a bowl.
Pour into the pastry case.

Cook for 40 minutes until the custard has set. If the pastry is starting to overcook cover with foil.
Sprinkle ground nutmeg on the top and serve warm.

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