Custard tart

Custard tarts, known as flans pâtissiers in France, are delectable pastries featuring a crisp outer crust and a creamy egg custard filling, baked to perfection. The history of custard tarts can be traced back to medieval times, with "custard" deriving from the Anglo-Norman term for a type of pie. Historically, recipes often included a pastry shell filled with a rich mixture of cream, milk, eggs, sweeteners, and occasionally spices. Some versions even used almond milk or had savory variants containing minced pork.

Today, custard tarts are typically made using shortcrust pastry, eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla, and are often sprinkled with nutmeg before baking.

In the UK and Commonwealth countries, these treats are highly popular and are commonly referred to as egg custard tarts to distinguish them from custards thickened with cornflour. They are a classic British delight, frequently found in supermarkets and bakeries. Variations include the Manchester tart, which features a layer of jam, and some versions even incorporate fresh fruit into the custard.

In France, custard tarts, called flans pâtissiers, may sometimes contain fruit, making them similar to clafoutis.

Indonesia has its own version called pai susu, which consists of a thin layer of custard in a flat pastry crust. Unique iterations of custard tarts can also be found in countries like Portugal, Romania, and South Africa.