Banana Custard Tarts Recipes

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place the cookies and sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the melted butter and process until it looks like wet sand. Transfer to a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan and press into the bottom and up the sides. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Set a large fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Combine the milk, heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar, the egg yolks, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan; whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 1 minute, whisking. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer to the sieve; press through with a rubber spatula. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Peel and thinly slice 2 bananas and arrange evenly on the bottom of the crust. Gently spread the filling on top of the bananas and smooth the surface. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface; refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• Peel and thinly slice the remaining bananas and arrange them on the tart, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with sugar and brown with a kitchen torch.
• Make the topping: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the pan; cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are frothy and the mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag; pipe the meringue around the edge of the tart. Brown with the torch.

Steps:

• For custard: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium bowl to blend. Bring milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and rum and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer custard to bowl. Place plastic wrap directly atop surface of custard. Refrigerate overnight.
• For crust: Blend all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in processor. Cut in chilled butter using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 cup ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 6 equal balls. Flatten each ball into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Roll out 1 dough disk to 7-inch round. Transfer to 4 1/2-inch tartlet pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, pressing and forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Repeat with remaining 5 dough disks. Freeze crusts 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crusts until golden brown and baked through, piercing with fork if crusts bubble, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in pans on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in tartlet pans at room temperature.)
• Preheat broiler. Divide custard equally among crusts (generous 1/4 cup for each). Place banana slices decoratively atop each tartlet, covering custard completely. Brush bananas lightly with water. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over bananas on each tartlet. Broil just until sugar melts and bubbles, about 1 1/2 minutes. Garnish with cream, if desired.

Steps:

• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 20p coin. With a 14cm wide saucer, cut out 6 circles of pastry, then use to line six tartlet tins, 9cm in diameter. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line each pastry case with crumpled baking parchment, then fill with baking beans. Bake the pastry for 15 mins, then remove the paper and beans. Bake for another 5 mins until the pastry is cooked and lightly golden. Remove from the oven, then leave to cool. Reduce oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• In a pan, heat the milk and cream together to scalding point. Beat the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and nutmeg together, then pour in the hot milk and cream and gently beat, incorporating as little air as possible. Toss the bananas in lemon juice, divide them between the pastry cases, cut-side up, then fill with custard. Bake for 30 mins until just set. Remove from the oven and leave in the tins for 5 mins, before turning them out to cool on a wire rack. Finish with an extra grating of nutmeg.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12-portion nonstick muffin tin with melted butter.
• Cut circles out of the pie crusts using a 3 1/2-inch plain cutter and transfer them to the cups of the muffin tin. Press the dough evenly into the edges of each muffin cup, lining the sides. Whisk the milk, confectioners' sugar, egg yolks and egg together in a large glass measuring cup until smooth.
• Carefully pour the milk-sugar mixture into each crust, leaving 1/8 inch at the top. Bake in the center of the oven until the pastry begins to brown, the filling is set but still jiggles, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a tart comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
• Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until completely melted. Stir in the butter and cinnamon until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool.
• To serve, arrange about 5 banana slices on top of each tart, overlapping them in a flower petal pattern. Serve the tarts immediately with caramel sauce drizzled over the top.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch glass pie plate with shortening or spray with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix bananas and lemon juice; set aside.
• In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except whipped topping, walnuts and caramel topping until blended. Add banana mixture; stir until blended. Pour into pie plate.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.
• Spread pie with whipped topping; sprinkle with walnuts. Drizzle with caramel topping before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, peel and mash the bananas and mix with the lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon of the nutmeg.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and sugar. In a small bowl, blend the eggs and vanilla together, then combine with the banana mixture and milk mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the buttered baking pan. Pour the custard into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch ovenproof dish.
• Sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Place the pan into a larger pan that is filled with warm water, 1/2 inch up the side. Bake for 1 hour or until the custard is set.