Okay, gather 'round, dessert lovers! Let me tell you a tale of custard, cashews, and a whole lot of delicious stubbornness. You see, my pal Duncan has been on my case forever to veganize Portuguese custard tarts. I was hesitant, thinking, 'No way can anything plant-based replicate that creamy, eggy goodness.' Boy, was I wrong! These aren't just good; they're 'stop-what-you're-doing-and-make-these-now' good!
It started with a hunch: cashews and silken tofu. I envisioned a smooth, rich custard, but the ratios were a puzzle. I tweaked, tasted, tweaked again, like a mad scientist with a whisk. I'm pretty sure my kitchen started smelling permanently of custard. I was beginning to wonder if there was such a thing as too much custard testing.
This is where Duncan steps in - my voice of reason. He basically had to pry the whisk from my hand and said: 'Ava, enough! They're perfect, go create something else now!' Sometimes, a little nudge from reality is all you need. After all, a recipe is no good unless it's out there for you to enjoy, right? So, let's get baking!
The Magic Begins:
First, we whip up a super simple custard base. We're talking cashews, silken tofu, maple syrup, and a touch of lemon and vanilla – think of it as the silky dream team. We gently heat this, adding a dash of cornflour to thicken it up to that perfectly spoonable consistency.
Then, for the pastry, we're using vegan puff pastry, rolled into circles and snuggled into a muffin tin, forming perfect little vessels for our creamy filling.
We fill them with our lovely custard and bake until the pastry is golden, and the filling is just set, and then comes the fun part; a little optional torching to bring out extra flavour and sweetness.
The Recipe:
Yields: 12 tarts Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Custard:
- 120-150 ml maple syrup (adjust to your sweetness preference)
- 125g raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
- 200g silken tofu
- Zest of 1 lemon + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- Pinch of ground saffron or turmeric (for color)
- 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1 tsp water
Remaining Ingredients:
- 320g vegan puff pastry
- Oil, for greasing
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon mixed with 2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
Instructions:
- Make the Custard: In a blender, combine cashews and 120 ml maple syrup and blend until completely smooth. Add the remaining ingredients (except saffron and cornflour) and blend again. Sweeten with extra maple syrup if needed. If using saffron, add it to a teaspoon of plant milk for a few minutes before blending. If not using extra maple add 2 tbsp of plant milk.
- Pour mixture into a medium pot on low heat. Whisking constantly, slowly add the cornflour slurry and continue until thickened and bubbling gently. Remove from heat to cool down.
- Assemble the Tarts: Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) and grease a muffin tin with oil.
- Unroll the puff pastry, then cut into 12 equal segments and roll each one into a circle. I sprinkled a little cinnamon and icing sugar onto the pastry before making the circles which was delicious.
- Gently place the pastry circles into the muffin holes, making sure they snugly fit all the way to the base. Trim excess pastry with a sharp knife.
- Fill each pastry cup with custard, leaving a gap of about 1cm at the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the filling is just set.
- Cool the tarts slightly before removing them from the tin.
- If you have a kitchen torch, sprinkle the tops with icing sugar and torch them. If not, place them under the broiler for a few minutes (watch carefully!).
- Dust with cinnamon sugar and enjoy!
Final thoughts:
These are best enjoyed fresh, ideally still slightly warm from the oven. But who am I kidding? These are perfect anytime, anywhere!
So, there you have it, my friends – a vegan Portuguese custard tart that will fool even the most hardcore traditionalists! These tarts are a testament to creativity, a little stubbornness, and the magic of plants. Let me know how they turn out. Happy baking!