Mandarin Tart

Today I the recipe I have come up with is my own invention.  This is quite a departure for me, to try and make something, from my own ideas, with just the limited experience I have already gained.

For a Mandarin tart I thought I would try a sweet pastry, and a custard filling, flavoured with Mandarin juice and evaporated milk.  Usually for the custards in such tarts double cream is called for.  However I recall eating tinned mandarins with evaporated milk as a child, so I thought that might be a nice combination.

I then thought I would adorn the resulting tart with some tinned mandarins and some jelly made from freshly squeezed mandarin juice.

The resultant tart certainly looks pleasing, at least to my eyes.  The proof of the pudding, though, will be in the eating.

My pastry rolling is not the best, I thought I had it very thin, but once I sliced it, as you can see, I discovered it was still quite thick.  But it was cooked through and very tasty.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 250g Plain flour
• 125g of softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• a pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed Mandarin juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 Free-range eggs
• 225g caster sugar
• 125 ml evaporated milk 

For the topping:

• 1 can of mandarin segments, drained.
• 8 tablespoons of freshly squeezed Mandarin juice
• 4 leaves of gelatin.

Method:

1. Add the softened butter, flour, caster sugar and pinch of salt into a mixer, or processor.  Mix together to form a smooth paste. 
2. Add the eggs and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
3. Remove from the mixer and, on a floured work surface, knead the paste a few times to make sure all is pulled together.
4. Flatten in paste into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for at least an hour.
5. Heat your oven to 200Cc/400F/Gas Mark 6.
6. Remove the paste from the fridge and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and use to line a 23/24 cm flan tin.
7. Leave any excess attached to the edges.
8. Prick the pastry with a fork, to prevent raising while cooking.  
9. Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with baking beans, or similar.
10. Bake the pastry in the oven for 12-15 minutes
11. Take it out of the oven and remove the baking beans and parchment paper.
12. Take a sharp knife and remove any pastry that still overlaps the edge of the tart tin
13. Return the pastry case to the oven and cook for a further 10-12 minutes, until a golden brown.
14. Then remove and allow to cool.
15. Reduce the heat of the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3
16. To make the custard break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with a wire whisk. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and whisk again until they are all well combined
17. Pour the mixture into a jug and then place the pastry case, still in its pan, on a baking sheet, in the oven.
18. Pour the mixture, carefully, into the pastry case.
19. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the custard is set, but slightly wobbly in the centre.
20. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
21. Decorate, to your own design, with the mandarin segments.
22. Put the gelatin leaves in some cold water and leave for 5 minutes.
23. Gently warm the mandarin juice
24. Squeeze the water from the gelatin leaves and then mix them into the mandarin juice.
25. As it cools the mandarin juice will turn to jelly.  
26. Using a pastry brush you can paint some jelly onto the mandarin segments, and then use the rest to coat the top of the tart.  You can pour this, just as it starts to set.
27. Refrigerate, if you wish, to ensure the jelly sets completely.