Candied Cumquat & Custard Tart

Feb 13, 2025 | Desserts

Cumquats are a small citrus fruit with a tart flavour and flagrant skin. They can be eaten raw or used in jams, marmalades and a variety of baked desserts. 

This candied cumquat and custard tart is a heavenly combination of creamy vanilla custard, buttery cookie crust and tangy candied cumquats.

 

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 1 ½ cups Arnotts Nice Plain Biscuits crumbs
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, substitute vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon cumquat syrup

Candied Cumquats

  • 15-20 cumquats, sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar

Serves: 5 Tarts
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 3.5 hours (includes chilling time)

Method

  1. Thinly slice the cumquats and remove the seeds.
  2. Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and blanch the cumquats for 1 minute and then transfer them to an ice bath to cool. This step helps maintain that vibrant orange color.
  3. In a large pot, bring the water and sugar to a simmer. When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the cumquat slices and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the rinds are translucent.
  4. Remove the cumquat slices and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. Save 2 tablespoons of the cumquat syrup for the filling.
  6. Preheat your oven to 180c. Pulse the crackers in a food processor until you have about 1 ½ cups of crumbs.
  7. In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, almond flour, sugar, and melted butter. Mix until it resembles wet sand.
  8. Press the mixture into the bottom of the tart pan and slightly up the sides. Make sure it is tight and compact! You can use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to help pack down the crust.
  9. Bake the crust at 180c for about 15 minutes or until it’s lightly golden brown and looks dried out.
    Let cool to room temperature before filling.
  10. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth and set aside.
  11. Scald the milk in the microwave or on the stove top until it is almost boiling.
  12. In a large saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.Over medium-low heat, slowly add in the milk about ½ cup at a time while whisking constantly. As the filling begins to thicken, add in another ½ cup of milk and continue whisking.
  13. Once all of the milk is added and the filling has thickened (enough the coat the back of a spoon), remove the pot from the heat.
  14. Pour about ½ cup of the filling into a glass measuring cup and then slowly drizzle it into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly until fully combined and smooth.
  15. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the filling cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the filling has thickened to a pudding consistency.
  16. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in 1-2 tablespoons of the leftover cumquat syrup.
  17. Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.Cool the filling almost to room temperature, stirring occasionally, before pouring into your cooled tart shell.
  18. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (at least 3 hours) to let the filling set.
  19. Top with candied cumquats and enjoy!
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