Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- vegetable oil to coat pan
- 2 sheets puff pastry – (1 pkg 17 oz frozen puff pastry)
- 2 cups (1/2 liter) milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup (125 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
- 3 1/2 oz (100 grams) peeled almonds
- 2 egg whites
- 3 sliced strawberries
Preparation:
This Custard and Almond Tort recipe makes 6 servings.
Remove puff pastry sheets from freezer and allow to thaw 10-15 minutes. Using a paper towel, coat 8-inch cake pan with vegetable oil. Line the cake pan with puff pastry, trimming edges to fit pan and pressing pastry into corners. Prick bottom with a fork.
To form the top crust, lay the other pastry sheet out on a clean cutting board and place the cake pan on top. Using the cake pan as a guide, cut the sheet about a 1/3” larger than the pan. Set pan and sheet aside for later.
Measure and sift flour and corn starch for custard and set aside. Coarsely grind almonds in a food processor.
Heat oven to 360F (180C)
Pour all but 1/4 cup of the milk into a medium-size, heavy-bottom sauce pan and add the cinnamon stick. Bring milk just to the boiling point, then remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until mixture turns light yellow and has a smooth texture. Add flour and corn starch to the egg mixture and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed. Add the reserved 1/4 cup milk and continue to mix until smooth and creamy.
Remove cinnamon stick from milk. While stirring constantly, pour about a third of the warm milk into the egg mixture. Once milk is mixed in well, continue to stir while pouring in the rest of the milk. Transfer the mixture into a large sauce pan and heat on medium, stirring continually. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for just 30 seconds.
Note: If lumps begin to form in the custard while heating, use a hand mixer on low to break up the lumps.
Remove from stove and pour into puff pastry crust. Lay the other pastry sheet on top and seal the edges with a fork. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl. Brush beaten egg whites over top crust and sprinkle ground almonds on top.
Place in pre-heated oven in middle rack. Back for approximately 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Too add color, decorate cake with sliced strawberries before serving.
