Flan Patissier Recipes

Steps:

• For the pastry, combine flour, butter, potato starch, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until it has the consistency of sand.
• Combine milk and egg yolk in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix by hand until the mixture is evenly moistened. Do not overwork the pastry. Wrap pastry dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• For the filling, combine milk, 1/2 of the sugar and split and scraped vanilla bean in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat once milk boils.
• While the milk is heating, whisk eggs and remaining sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in cream and cornstarch, and whisk until well blended.
• Whisk egg mixture into the cooled milk, stirring constantly.
• Return everything back into the saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from setting. As soon as custard begins to thicken, remove from heat and whisk constantly for a few minutes while it cools.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove pastry from the refrigerator. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Line a springform pan and sides with the pastry and pierce several times with a fork. Store in the refrigerator until filling is cooled down enough.
• Briefly beat cooled pastry cream with an electric mixer to smooth it out. Pour into the pastry shell and even out the surface with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Increase temperature to 470 degrees F (240 degrees C) for an additional 10 minutes to brown the surface, making sure the custard does not burn. To speed up browning the top you can also place on a rack closer to the top.
• Remove pie from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate cooled custard pie for 4 hours before serving.
• To unmold, run the blade of a knife along the inside of the mold, to loosen the flan. Then carefully remove the ring off from the springform pan.

Steps:

• Pate Brisee: Place the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; with the mixer on low, add butter. Increase speed to medium and mix until butter is well combined. Slowly add water and mix until fully incorporated.
• Turn dough out onto work surface and flatten into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Place a 9-by-2-inch baking ring on prepared baking sheet and brush sides with canola oil; set aside.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is 3/16-inch thick and 14 inches in diameter. Gently fit dough into prepared baking ring, leaving an overhang of about 2 inches, reserving any scraps. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator or freezer and chill for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until edges of dough are lightly browned and bottom is set but still light in color, about 45 minutes.
• Carefully remove parchment paper and pie weights. If any holes or cracks have appeared in the dough, patch with reserved dough scraps. Brush with egg and return baking sheet to oven. Bake until bottom is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack; let tart shell cool completely.
• Filling: Preheat oven to 350.
• Place eggs yolks, eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl; whisk to combine. Add custard powder and cornstarch; whisk for 30 seconds to incorporate. Slowly add milk, whisking to combine. Strain into a large saucepan.
• Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking gently to avoid forming air bubbles; Let boil for 1 minute, whisking gently but constantly to avoid scorching. Transfer custard to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low to cool and slightly emulsify custard.
• Meanwhile, arrange prunes in tart shell; pour custard over fruit, keeping in mind you may not be able to fit all of the custard. Transfer to oven and bake until set but with a slight jiggle and a dark brown skin has formed on top, about 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
• Transfer tart to refrigerate and chill for 12 hours. Using a serrated knife, trim away excess crust from top edge of baking ring. Tilt ring on its side with the bottom facing you and run a small paring knife between the crust and the ring to release the tart. Set tart down and carefully lift ring to remove. Refrigerate tart until ready to serve, up to 2 days.