Looking for Fruit Flan recipe

libby51, Nov 13, 5:30am
Hi, back in the 50s and 60s, my mum used to make a flan for dessert on Sundays sometimes. It was a sort of sponge base with a creamy/custardy filling, topped with fruit. I've "inherited" her flan tin, but can't find her recipe. I could do the sponge base I'm sure, but have no idea what she used for the filling. Any one have any ideas please? Thanks!

valentino, Nov 14, 2:26am
Hi libby51, thought by now that a recipe would come.

I have two to try, perhaps you may be interested.

Will post them separately.

The first one may be long but really is very good.

Cheers

valentino, Nov 14, 2:27am
Sweet Pastry Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
115 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pastry Cream:
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons corn flour
1/2 tablespoon liqueur (Grand Marnier, Brandy, Kirsch) (optional)
Apricot Glaze: (optional)
1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
1 tablespoon water
Topping:
3 cups fruit (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.)

Sweet Pastry Crust: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Flatten the pastry into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or just until firm (can place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes.)

Lightly butter and flour, or spray with a non-stick vegetable/flour cooking spray, an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Evenly pat the chilled pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 205 degrees C and place rack in centre of oven. Lightly prick bottom of pastry crust with the tines of a fork (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Place tart pan on a larger baking pan and bake crust for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees C and continue to bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until dry and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before filling. Can be covered and stored for a few days.
Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. (Don't let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Sift the flour and corn flour together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the milk and vanilla bean just to boiling (just until milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.) Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and add the seeds to the egg mixture. (The vanilla bean can be washed and dried and placed in your sugar bowl to give the sugar a vanilla flavour.) Then pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the liqueur (if using). (Stir in vanilla extract is using instead of a vanilla bean.) Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool to room temperature. If not using right away refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Beat or whisk before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.
Apricot Glaze: Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted). (Can also heat in the microwave.) Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps.
To Assemble Tart: is continued in next post !

valentino, Nov 14, 2:28am
From previous post.

To Assemble Tart: To remove the tart from the fluted sides of the pan, place your hand under the pan, touching only the removable bottom not the sides. Gently push the tart straight up, away from the sides. The fluted tart ring will fall away and slide down your arm. If you want to remove the bottom of the pan, run a knife or thin metal spatula between the crust and metal bottom, then slide the tart onto your platter.
Spread a thin layer of apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the baked tart shell to prevent the crust from getting soggy. Let the glaze dry (about 20 minutes). Then spread the pastry cream onto the bottom of the tart shell. Place fruit randomly on top of cream or in concentric overlapping circles, starting at the outside edge. After arranging the fruit, rewarm the glaze, if using, and gently brush a light coat on the fruit. If not serving immediately, refrigerate but bring to room temperature before serving. This fruit tart is best eaten the same day as it is assembled. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves about 6-8 people.

valentino, Nov 14, 2:32am
Fruit Flan.
Pastry:
1 cup flour
75g butter
1/4 cup White Sugar
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp cold water

Filling:
1 Tbsp custard powder
1 Tbsp White Sugar
1/2 cup milk
250g pot fruit flavoured yoghurt - fruit such as mandarin slices, pears, kiwifruit slices, peaches
1/4 cup apricot jam
2 tsp water
Pastry:
Sift flour, cut butter through until crumb-like, add sugar. Combine egg yolk and water, add to flour, mix until mixture just binds, knead lightly. On lightly floured board, roll dough to fit and line a 20cm flan tin. Refrigerate pastry case for 15 minutes.
Bake blind at 190°C for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove baking blind material, return to oven for 5 minutes to dry pastry surface. While pastry is cooking prepare filling.

Filling:
Combine custard powder, sugar and milk together. Heat stirring all the time, bring to the boil, allow to boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, stir the yoghurt in.
Pour the filling into warm prepared pastry case. Decorate with prepared fruit. Warm the apricot jam and water together, sieve then brush over the fruit.
Serve warm.

valentino, Nov 14, 2:35am
libby51, you could use what you have in mind for the base and look at various recipes to get the familiar thoughts of the fruit with the custard fillings.

All the best, Cheers.

libby51, Nov 14, 4:03am
Thanks so much Valentino! The fillings sound just right!
My flan tin isn't the fluted one for pastry but the retro one pictured here - you use something more "cakey" and turn it out
http://www.vanishederas.com/tala-vintage-6-inch-flan-tin-for-novel-moulded-dainties-in-original-box-c1950s-14-p.asp

valentino, Jun 28, 2:47am
Golly gosh, that really took me back a few years.

Can imagine a nice easy cake-sponge to suit - baked - then do a filling. A layer of a custard then an array of fruits with a little bit more custard if required then finished with a nice glaze. Allow all to set first before serving.

Maybe a light sprinkling of sifted icing sugar (straight from the sifter) to give it that nice effect.