A big, big thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a copy of Rachel Khoo’s latest cookbook, My Little French Kitchen. The response was fantastic and I loved reading everyone’s entries on their favourite French food. The entries made me realise how far-reaching and popular French food really is; from the simple baguette loaf and famous croissant to the more exotic Duck à l’Orange, the entries highlighted how wonderful and delicious French food is, and how difficult it is to name just one favourite! The lucky winner will be notified by email shortly.

But my adventures in cooking from My Little French Kitchen are far from over and, this week, Rachel Khoo’s spin on the classic Far Breton has made my afternoon tea breaks that little bit more indulgent.

custard tarts with teapot in background with tea cosy

A Far Breton was what my mother-in-law served when I travelled to Brittany to meet the future in-laws for the first time. It was a rather nerve-wracking trip for me, not least because, if things went pear-shaped, I was going to be stranded on the furthest north-western corner of France where any chance of escape would have required a 5 hour train ride to the next major city. Thankfully, my first encounter with my in-laws was a charmed event and, if the only thing I can remember from that first meeting was what we ate, I’m guessing it couldn’t have been too bad.

A Far Breton is a dense flan with prunes and is very traditional to the region of Brittany. Given my familial connection to this cake, one of the first recipes to catch my eye in Rachel Khoo’s latest cookbook were her Tartlettes Far Breton. A traditional Far Breton is usually made in a large dish and which is then sliced upon serving. Here, Rachel Khoo has given this classic dessert her unique spin by recreating them as little custard tarts.

custard tarts in ceramic muffin tray

What I love about Rachel Khoo’s version is that it combines the Far Breton with one of my favourite afternoon tea treats, the Palmier, a pastry with various names translated into English, including Elephant’s Ears, Prussians and French Hearts. A Palmier is simply made from thin slices of puff pastry rolled into the shape of elephant’s ears or a heart shape (hence their adopted names in English), sprinkled with sugar and baked until the pastries are golden and caramelised.

In Rachel Khoo’s recipe, the base of the tartlets are similarly made from puff pastry which are rolled in sugar to give a crisp and caramelised crust, creating a wonderful contrast to the soft and delicate custard filling which is studded with sweet prunes.

Whilst a Far Breton is rather understated and restrained in its traditional composition, I’m rather impartial to Rachel Khoo’s sweet makeover. I ate one whilst it was still warm from the oven and my day suddenly felt better.

custard tarts with cup of tea
5 stars (2 reviews)

Custard Tarts with Prunes

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
Prep40 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Total1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 12 tarts
These Custard Tarts have a caramelised pastry for extra crunch and sweetness.
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Ingredients

  • 350 g (12 oz) puff pastry
  • granulated sugar
  • butter, for greasing
  • 12-15 pitted prunes, roughly chopped
  • 300 ml (1 cup plus 3 tablespoons) crème fraîche, or sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons caster sugar, (superfine sugar)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 pinch fine salt

Instructions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F (without fan).
  2. Dust the work surface with some granulated sugar.
  3. Roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle, measuring approx 40 cm x 30 cm.
  4. Dust the pastry with some more granulated sugar and use a rolling pin to gently press in the sugar.
  5. With the long side facing you, roll the dough up tightly.
  6. Cut the dough evenly into 12 slices.
  7. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin with some butter.
  8. Sprinkle the work surface with some more granulated sugar and use the rolling pin to gently flatten each slice of dough into a circle large enough to fit the muffin hole.
  9. Place a small amount of chopped prunes in each piece of dough.
  10. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, caster sugar, eggs, egg yolk and salt.
  11. Fill each pastry cup with the custard, but leave a small border.
  12. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Remove the tarts from the mould immediately, otherwise they will stick.

Kitchen Notes

  • Due to the sugar content in the pastry, the pastry will caramelise upon baking. Hence, it is important to remove them from the muffin tin as quickly as possible, otherwise they will stick to the pan. If you are unable to remove them quickly enough, simply pop the muffin tin back in the oven for a few minutes and try again.
  • STORAGE TIPS
    The tartlets taste best when they are warm, but they keep well under a covered dish for a few days.
  • RECIPE CREDIT
    Recipe adapted from My Little French Kitchen by Rachel Khoo.
  • OVEN TEMPERATURES
    All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
  • CONVERSIONS
    To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 4.8g, Fat: 14.9g, Cholesterol: 68.6mg, Sodium: 108.5mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 6.6g

Did you make this recipe?

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