Custard tart
A baked pastry crust filled with custard.
A custard tart (also called flan pâtissier or flan parisien) is a baked pastry with a crust filled with custard. The word "custard" itself traces back to an Anglo-Norman term for a type of pie, *crustade, related to the English word "crust" and the French *croust*. This, in turn, connects to the 18th-century French *croustade*, likely borrowed from the Italian *crostata* (first recorded in the 13th century). In the Middle Ages, similar tarts were known as doucettes or darioles—doucettys were served at Henry IV’s coronation banquet in 1399. Medieval recipes used shortcrust or puff pastry filled with cream, milk, or broth, mixed with eggs, sugar or honey, and sometimes spices. By the 14th century, recipes existed that would still be recognizable as custard tarts today. During Lent, almond milk could be used for the filling, though this was costly and only for the wealthy. Savory ingredients like minced pork or beef marrow were often added (sweet and savory combinations being common in medieval England), but the custard itself was always sweet.
Modern custard tarts typically use shortcrust pastry, eggs, sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla, topped with nutmeg and baked. Unlike egg tarts, they are usually served at room temperature. They come as individual tarts, about 8 cm across, or as larger tarts sliced into portions.
In Britain and the Commonwealth, they are often called "egg custard tarts" or "egg custards" to distinguish them from cornflour-based custards. Sold in supermarkets and bakeries across the UK, they are considered a classic British dish. A version by Marcus Wareing was chosen as the final course for a banquet celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday on the BBC’s *Great British Menu*. They are made as large tarts or small tartlets, classically topped only with nutmeg—fruit toppings (French style) or cinnamon (Dutch) are not typical. Variations include the Manchester tart, with a layer of jam under the custard, or versions with fresh fruit or rhubarb cooked into the filling. Elaborate fruit toppings show French pâtisserie influence.
In Hong Kong, the egg tart (daahn tāat) is a custard tart derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. It has an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard and is served at dim sum restaurants, bakeries, and cha chaan teng.
Quick Facts
- Country
- France, United Kingdom
- Served
- Cold
- Main Ingredient
- Shortcrust pastry, egg, custard
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The word 'custard' derives from Anglo-Norman *crustade, meaning a kind of pie, related to the 18th century French term croustade, probably borrowed from Italian crostata. In 1399, the coronation banquet for Henry IV included 'doucettys', a medieval name for custard tarts. Other medieval names included darioles. Medieval recipes could include savoury ingredients such as minced pork or beef marrow, though the custard filling itself was invariably sweet. During Lent, tarts could be made with almond milk, but this was expensive and available only to the well-off.
Reader's Guide
Custard tarts have long been a favourite pastry in Britain and the Commonwealth, where they are often called 'egg custard tarts' to distinguish the egg-based filling from cornflour-based custards. In the UK, the custard tart is regarded as a classic British dish, and a version by Marcus Wareing was selected on the BBC programme Great British Menu as the final course of a banquet for Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday. Variations include the Manchester tart, which adds a layer of jam, and versions with fruit or rhubarb. Outside Britain, the dish appears in many forms: the Hong Kong egg tart derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata; the Indonesian pai susu from Bali, a very flat pie with a thin custard layer; the French flan pâtissier, sometimes filled with fruit; the Romanian alivenci made with cornmeal and cream cheese; the Philippine egg pie with a toasty brown top; the Portuguese pastel de nata, optionally dusted with cinnamon; and the South African melktert, a milk tart with a lighter texture and stronger milk flavour, developed from the Dutch mattentaart.
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