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Italian Custard Tart Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Italian custard tart, or crostata di crema, is a beloved regional dessert featuring a buttery shortcrust pastry shell filled with silky vanilla custard and topped with a delicate lattice of pastry strips. This elegant yet approachable tart showcases the Italian mastery of simple ingredients transformed through technique, with a custard that is both rich and delicately flavored.

Ingredients

• 200g (1⅔ cups) all-purpose flour
• 100g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 50g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons ice water
• 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• 40g (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 30g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the pastry dough by combining flour, cubed cold butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Rub with fingertips until breadcrumb texture forms.

2. Add egg yolk and ice water, then mix gently with a fork until dough just comes together. Do not overwork.

3. Wrap dough in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes until firm.

4. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll out chilled dough between parchment paper to fit a 9-inch (23cm) tart pan with removable bottom, pressing gently into sides and trimming excess.

5. Prepare custard by heating milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale, then whisk in flour and vanilla until smooth.

6. Slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks, then pour mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 8-10 minutes.

7. Remove custard from heat, stir in butter until melted and smooth, then let cool for 5 minutes. Pour custard into unbaked tart shell.

8. Cut remaining pastry scraps into thin strips approximately ½-inch (1.3cm) wide. Arrange strips in a crosshatch lattice pattern over custard, pressing edges to seal.

9. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown and custard is just set with a slight jiggle in the center.

10. Cool tart completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving.

Substitutions

• Use lactose-free milk for dairy sensitivity while maintaining custard texture and flavor.
• Substitute 2 tablespoons cornstarch for flour in custard for a slightly silkier texture.
• Use gluten-free flour blend for both pastry and custard for gluten-free version; handle pastry gently as it may be more fragile.
• Replace vanilla extract with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or freshly grated lemon zest for flavor variation.

Tips

• Keep all pastry ingredients cold before mixing; warm butter will produce tough, greasy crust rather than flaky pastry.
• Temper egg yolks slowly when combining with hot milk to prevent scrambling; add milk gradually while whisking vigorously.
• Bake lattice on top of unbaked custard rather than pre-baking to ensure pastry and custard finish cooking simultaneously for best texture contrast.

The crostata di crema is a staple in Italian pastry shops and home kitchens throughout the country, with regional variations appearing in different parts of Italy. This classic preparation balances delicate custard with a sturdy pastry shell, reflecting Italian pastry traditions that emphasize technique and quality ingredients over complex flavor combinations.

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