custard tart vs chocolate pudding

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custard tart || cityhippyfarmgirl

custard tart || cityhippyfarmgirl

I recently made a chocolate self saucing pudding.

It was fairly forgettable really.

Prompted from a chat on instagram, I wanted to revisit my early teen winning staple. And I really mean staple. I made those chocolate puddings on a weekly basis at one stage. Fueled by my love of anything dessert orientated and driven by a new found kitchen freedom that one seems to acquire after a certain period of time that has passed of proving yourself. Yep, I could bake them alright, and along with it feed my hungry mouthed siblings all through the long winter months. (Which weren’t particularly long, but it does sound more dramatic.)

The question was, would I be doing the same for my own children? Would the humble self saucing chocolate pudding become a family favourite as it once was mine?

Errr, no. No it won’t be.

I made it. It was pleasant, and that was about it. It seems my chocolate pudding days go no further. After 20 plus years of not making it, it seems my palate has completely changed. No longer sated by a simple concoction of self-raising flour, sugar, and cocoa. It really just didn’t do anything for me.

Now I could adapt a recipe, make it my own. Throw some more ingredients in there that are more attune to what our young family enjoys, however I probably won’t… as instead I revisited the humble custard tart.

And that dear people, was well worth the revisit.

Given that I have a long held history with custard anything, it would have been a shame if this one didn’t cut it. At times in my younger life I may have been held up by custard. It’s not the first time I’ve mentioned the love for custard on the blog, (nor probably the last.) But what I will mention is the tart disappeared far quicker than the chocolate pudding, which unfortunately seemed to quietly whither within the fridge over a period of days.

This recipe isn’t very complicated. There is no resting of pastry, no straining of custard, and if you feel like that second slice…I say go right ahead.

custard tart || cityhippyfarmgirl

Custard Tart

Pastry

180g cold cubed butter

50g icing sugar

1 egg

250g plain flour

In a blender pulse, butter, flour and sugar together until it forms bread crumbs. Drop an egg in and a give it a quick whizz. Pop the mixture out on to a lightly floured bench top and gently knead until the dough comes together. Between two baking sheets, roll it out to about .5cm thickness. Plop the dough into your greased pie or tart dish, keeping one side of the baking paper on there. With the baking paper side up, add pie weights or something to weigh the pastry casing down- bake blind for about 20-15 minutes or until golden at 180C.

Custard

600mls milk

2 tsps vanilla

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cornflour

50g melted butter

nutmeg

Add all ingredients except milk and nutmeg together to form a paste like consistency. In a pot over medium heat, add all of the paste and slowly add the milk, stirring continually. Keep stirring until the custard just comes together and then take it off the heat. (If by chance you get side tracked, and your custard gets a little lumpy- wizz it with a hand held mixer- voila! smooth custard.)

Pour custard into the tart shell and grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top.

Eat with enthusiasm and noisy laughter.

simple custard tart recipe || cityhippyfarmgirl

44 thoughts on “custard tart vs chocolate pudding”

  2. I remember custard tarts being available at the school’s canteen. The boys all dived on them every recess – those and the finger buns. This is a beautiful looking dessert, Brydie. I’d love to make this; I’m sure it would be a big hit with everyone under this roof xx

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  3. i’ve had a bit of an obsession with the idea of making a custard tart lately brydie..yours looks perfect..i just might have to steal the recipe! oh..and by the way i could never stop making chocolate self saucing pudding..my son loves it too much..x

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    • Julie, I’m not sure I’d ever had a home made one either until you mentioned it. My mum used to make a coconut custard pie, but it was quite a bit different to this one….will have a little think on how I could change it with out the eggs too.
      (And good to know I’m in good custardy company 🙂

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  6. This looks so yummy & your pie crust looks perfect! I haven’t actually eaten many custard tarts before, probably only had it 4-5 times in my life! A favourite dessert growing up was a self-saucing butterscotch pudding, which we still make, as it is yummy!

    Thanks so sharing this delicious sounding recipe!
    Sarah x

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    • Really Sarah? Only 4-5?…Never I probably ate your share over my life time, and *ahem* half of my suburbs.
      Butterscotch pudding however, maybe I’ve only had once or twice…might need a revisit I think.

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  7. Oh sad face. It’s ok, I’ll keep the flag flying for the old self saucing chocolate pudding. In fact I made one last week. I love how the sauce gets thick and sinks, it’s like a chocolate magma. I know some that don’t like the combo of hot and cold, but warm desserts with icecream … so. delicious. Your custard tart undeniably looks tasty, but I question it’s capacity to warm my soul on cold winters night. Sounds like a good excuse to try it out!

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    • “Soul Warmers”- now that could be a winter dessert cook book couldn’t it. Surely.
      How about a golden syrup pudding with vanilla icecream on top? Hot and cold…can we compromise with that one?

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      • Ha. that is a cracker name, LOVE IT. SO funny you mention the golden syrup pudding. Best camping dessert (apart from Bookernoe nuts, remind me to run you through those, they are spectacular) is what i call ‘mummy’s boy dumplings’. Basically little individual golden syrup dumplings. generally no ice cream but definitely a soul warmer round the campfire.

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  8. Your photos are just stunning Brydie. I do love an old school chocolate self saucing pudding, they take me straight back to my childhood! In recent times I have modified the basic recipe to a plain/vanilla pudding and added lemon or lime juice instead of the water to make a citrus sauce.

    Your custard recipe sounds really good. I do love homemade custard…so do my children. Sigh, I really need to stop baking and cooking, it is out of control! Happy Sunday to you x

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    • It maybe out of control but think of the amazing foodie memories you’re creating for your kids Jane. They’ll thank you in years to come.
      As for a lemony lime flavoured pudding- yes! Lemon Delicious…ohh I’d forgotten about that one. My baking list continues as well it seems.

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  9. I think you and I would be great sharing chocolate pud and custard tart – I’d have the pud and you could have the tart – I still make chocolate pudding from time to time and still love it to bits – though I think tarts are prettier than puddings ad yours is gorgeous

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  10. Oh very yummy indeed Brydie! Custard tarts are a real classic, but the nutmeg on top is like fairy dust- it makes it magic! 🙂

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  11. I love how these ingredients are kitchen staples so you can whip up a nice dessert on the weekend. Also I can use lactose free milk for my lactose free kids. Pre-kids I use to pop down to Petersham for those little award winning Portuguese tarts, a shot of coffee and a styvo.

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  14. My tastes may have made similar transitions to yours. In my teenage years, chocolate self-saucing pudding would have been a clear winner and custard tarts didn’t hold much appeal. These days, custard desserts draw me in, and I keep meaning to try veganising custard tart (a challenge!). I also like desserts with pie crusts more generally, which is a big difference from the younger me. All of which means, in my lifetime, I will eat more varieties of dessert – which I will take as a good thing 😉

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  16. “Eat with enthusiasm and noisy laughter” and you forgot to add “BOTH HANDS!” ;). You just reminded me of the simple blissful delight of custard tart and how happy I am going to make Stevie-boy, the custard king, when I make this for him today as a surprise dessert 🙂

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  17. Custard Tart hands down.
    I made some Portuguese Custard Tarts for my Mum’s birthday dinner dessert on Saturday that they were divine.

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  20. Hiya – I too was a chocolate pudding gal, and when I moved out of home was equally happy to have it as left-overs for breakfast as well!. I did have a period where I longed for the dishes that I produced in my parent’s home and after, and finally bought one of the old ‘cookery the australian way’ cookbooks that held these precious recipes. Only to find, like you, my palate has moved on. but I’m glad I did revisit and find that out. Now I have no more longing for dishes long past. I’m happy to experiment and follow my palate wherever it wishes to go.
    Thanks for this lovely blog – it resonated with me. I too am still a custard addict!

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  24. My tastebuds never grew into liking custard, something about the texture reminds me of eating baby food. LOL! Our family are pudding freaks, love a good ol fashioned chic pud. Although, your tart does look amazing, Ill bookmark and make for a fam dinner soon. Wishing you a splendid week Brydie. 🙂

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