Plum and Spiced Custard Tart

When we found our first home and Defective Housewife HQ, we were lucky enough to fall in love with one that has well established fruit trees in the garden. The apples and pears are still a week or two off eating but the plums have been sublime. Our tree is laden with them and while I probably will make the classic crumble and possible some jam if there are enough left, I wanted to challenge myself and create something beautiful and more unique. I had been planning to make a cheesecake but most vegan ones require nuts and I simply can't justify how much they cost so I decided to make a custard tart instead. I've been watching a lot of Chetna from the Great British Bake Off on instagram and got the inspiration for the addition of cardamon from her. I'm really proud of this bake and everyone I fed it to loved it as much as I did.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
225g plain flour
100g butter - i use dairy free
1 tsp ground nutmeg 
4-6 tbsp cold water

For the custard:





300ml soy milk
75g icing sugar
25g corn starch
3 tsp vanilla extract
200g full fat coconut milk
5 cardamon pods

9 small plums approx 
4 tbsp granulated sugar 

Method:

In a large bowl, carefully rub together the flour, nutmeg and butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the pastry chills, take a medium sized saucepan and place over a medium heat with 200ml of the soy milk in. Bash the cardamon pods with something solid - I used the end of a spurtle - and pop into the milk. Simmer gently until the milk is reduced by around half and flavoured with the cardamon and the sieve the remove the pods and any skin that may have formed on the milk. 

Using cold milk, top up the soy milk to 200ml and place back in the saucepan along with the icing sugar and corn starch and whisk until there are no lumps. Place back on a medium high heat and add the vanilla and coconut milk. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and becomes stiff to stir. Place the custard to one side. 

Take the dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface to around a 30cm circle. Take a loose bottomed tart tin and carefully drape the pastry over. Take a small piece of excess pastry and use this to push the pastry into the tin, getting into all the corners. Trim the pastry to the top of the dish.  Line the pastry with baking foil and blind bake for 10 minutes, at 160c.

While the pastry case bakes, cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Once the case is lightly golden, remove from the oven and take out the foil. Pour in the custard and smooth out to the edges using a spatula. Place the plums cut side up over the top of the custard and then sprinkle with the granulated sugar before returning to the oven. 

Bake for a further 20 minutes or until the plums have softened and the sugar has started the melt and caramelise. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before carefully removing and popping on a serving plate. 

We ate this as is but I imagine it would be lovely with a side of ice cream or drizzled with cream for an extra spot of indulgence. 

Please make this as I know you will love it. When you do, take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Thank you