coffee, maple + fennel custard tart

i was gifted a copy of the flavour thesaurus a few years ago and it is still one of my favourite inspirational books to flip through

i was flicking through the pages when i came across two listings that just called to me: coffee + maple, and coffee + fennel, and so why not combine them all together!

this is an extension on the custard tart deep dive i did a few years ago

a note to be gentle with your egg mixture to avoid ugly foam on top like i had!!

we make a (maple) sugar syrup and whisk into the eggs, like hong kong egg tarts or portuguese pastel de nata, but house it in a pate sucree tart base, more like a french flan parisien

serves 8-10

ingredients

fennel pastry base

2 tsp fennel seeds

68g caster sugar

68g butter, cubed

1 egg

180g plain flour

pinch of salt

maple coffee custard filling

180g maple syrup

60g water

2 tsp instant coffee

3 eggs

1 tsp cornstarch

180mL milk

pinch of salt

method

fennel pastry base

using a blender (or spice grinder), crush the fennel seeds (2 tsp) into the sugar (68g)

transfer to a large bowl, then add the cold cubed butter (68g)

rub the butter into the sugar with your fingertips until the mixture resembles damp sand (with fennel specks!)

add the egg (1) and stir together with a fork

sift in the flour (180g) and a pinch of salt

mix together until just combined

turn out onto a clean work surface and press into a flat disc

wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes

preheat the oven to 180C

roll out the chilled dough and place in a cake tin, making sure to press the dough into the corners and patch any cracks

bake for 20 minutes, or until just lightly golden brown

reduce the oven to 160C

set aside to cool while you prepare the custard

maple coffee custard filling

combine the maple syrup (180g), water (60g), and instant coffee (2 tsp) in a saucepan over medium heat

warm the mixture, stirring occasionally but do not boil

in a separate bowl, beat together the eggs (3) and cornstarch (1 tsp)

note: best not to be lazy and use a blender to blend the eggs like i did, as this will make a thick egg foam that bakes into ugly bubbles on top, instead of a smooth, flawless custard

gently stream the warmed maple coffee mixture into the eggs, beating together continuously

pour in the milk (180mL) and a pinch of salt and stir together

gently pour into the (still-warm) pastry

any leftover custard can be baked off in muffin tins without a pastry base for the baker’s treat

bake at 160C for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling has only a slight jiggle

let cool completely and serve cold