Caramel Custard Tart 

🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Bake the Pastry Crust

1. Pulse: In a food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
2. Bind: Add the egg yolk and ice water. Pulse just until the dough starts to clump together. Gather into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Press & Freeze: Roll the dough out on a floured surface and press it gently into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the excess edges. Freeze the unbaked crust for 15 minutes.
4. Blind Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights, and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely.

2. Cook and Set the Custard

1. Heat Cream: In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and vanilla over medium heat until steaming (do not boil).
2. Whisk: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until pale and slightly thick.
3. Temper & Thicken: Slowly pour a few tablespoons of the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard bubbles and thickens like pudding.
4. Fill: Pour the warm custard directly into your cooled tart shell. Smooth the top with a spatula and let it cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours to set completely.

3. Make the Caramel and Pour

1. Melt Sugar: In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color (about 6 to 8 minutes).
2. Finish Sauce: Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the butter until melted, then slowly pour in the warm heavy cream (it will bubble up violently, so be careful). Stir continuously for 1 minute until silky smooth. Stir in the sea salt if using. Remove from heat and let it cool down for 15 minutes.
3. Layer: Pour the warm caramel glaze evenly over the chilled custard layer. Tilt the tart pan to let the caramel spread to the very edges. Refrigerate the assembled tart for another 30 minutes before slicing.

💡 Pastry Chef Secrets

• Warm the Caramel Cream: When making the caramel sauce, make sure the heavy cream is warm or room temperature before adding it to the melted sugar. If it is cold from the fridge, it will cause the hot sugar to seize up into hard lumps.
• The Warm Knife Trick: For clean, beautiful bakery-style slices, run a sharp chef’s knife under hot water, wipe it completely dry, and make your slice. Repeat the hot water rinse for every single cut.

Would you like to try a shortcut version using a Graham Cracker Crust to completely skip baking the pastry? I can also show you how to turn this into a Crème Brûlée Tart where you torch the sugar on top instead of making a pourable caramel.