Bourke Street Bakery’s Ginger Brulee Tart

For the last few days,I held the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook close to me like a bible. I would be poring over it in the kitchen,on the couch before the TV and finally before I turn in for the night in bed…. There are many good things in the book that get you excited.
The inspiration from that first visit still linger. I would have gladly replicate the ginger brulee tart immediately after I got back but the lengthy prep involved would have called for more patience and I just couldn’t wait – hence the Passion Fruit Meringue Tart got its showcase first.

For those who are keen to try this, make sure you start 2 days in advance.
The cream needs to be infused with the spices overnight. Subsequently, after the custard is prepared, it has to be refrigerated overnight again. If you are the sort who can only manage one item per day, then you would need to get on with the sweet short crust pastry a day earlier. So much work? I think it will get more breezy after repeating this a couple more times, when the routine becomes more familiar. It is really not so difficult and the end result turns out really quite similar to what I ate at the store.For those who are not able to travel all the way to Sydney bakery for their treats, this is the greatest option available. And then, for those who are reluctant to pay AUS$5 per tart, you can save quite a few quids by making them yourself. The authenticity of the cookbook makes it a gem and because these treats are meant to look rustic, you can get away with a little shoddy workmanship and still look like a kitchen goddess.

If you fancy a Chai Spiced Brulee, you will not be disappointed.

Recipe:

720ml pouring (whipping cream) (35% fat)
5cm piece ginger, finely sliced
1 cardamon pod, bruised
1/2 cinnamon stick
10 egg yolks
80g caster sugar plus extra for burning
1 qty of sweet short crust pastry (see here)
1 1/2 tbsp pistachios chopped.

Method

1. Put cream into a saucepan, add ginger,cardamon and cinnamon. Heat up. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and leave to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to infuse flavours.

2. Next day, bring (1) to simmering point and remove from heat. Leave aside until ready to use.

3. Place egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add sugar and whisk for 30seconds until sugar dissolve. Pour in warm (2) slowly and whisk at low speed to combine.

4. Transfer (3) into a Bain Marie pan and heat over a simmering water bath. Make sure the pan does not touch the boiling water. Whisk the custard mixture using a hand whisk for 10-15mins over the water bath until smooth and thick.

5. Remove pan from water bath. Whisk briskly for another 2 mins to cool.
6. Over the next hour, whisk the custard quickly every 10mins until custard cools down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

7. Roll out sweet crust pastry and cut into 11cm circles. Line 8cm tart cases. Refrigerate lined tart cases for 20mins. Blind bake tart cases at 200C for 25mins.

8. Cool down baked tart cases completely.

9. Pipe the refrigerated custard (6) into tart cases. Overfill the cases and spread the custard over edges of case.

10. Cover top of tart with castor sugar and with a blow torch, burn sugar until it caralmelises. Sprinkle chopped pistachios over brulee tart.