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Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts

July 4, 2019 by Salma Leave a Comment

Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts | The Polka Dotter

These tarts are pure joy – a creamy custard filling infused with earl grey and accentuated by the sweet crisp crunch of brûlée topping. 

I love the scent of earl grey tea, it always fills me with joy and warmth. As a young girl growing up, the bergamot aroma filled the home most evenings, as my parents sipped on steamy cups of earl grey, always served black with a dash of sugar. So I guess it’s no surprise that as an adult, it quickly became one of my favourite hot beverages.

It was much later in life that I met my first brûlée tart. Only a couple of years ago in fact, that I tasted the decadence that is the infamous Bourke Street Bakery’s Ginger Brûlée Tart. I was blown away by the genius concept of filling a delicate crisp tart shell with crème brûlée infused with ginger and spice. So genius in fact that Ottolenghi himself re-created a chai spiced tart of similar nature in his book, Sweet.

Not long after tasting this extraordinary tart, I felt compelled to re-create my own version, infused with earl grey, the scent reminiscent of my childhood. But every time I read Bourke Street Bakery’s recipe book, the thought of making pastry filled me with dread rather than joy. I’ve you’ve spent a bit of time on my blog, you’ll know I tend to make most things from scratch. But sometimes the juggles of life leave little time to bake. And when I bake, it’s to relax and the process is therapeutic. And deep down, I just really, really wanted to indulge in a delicious earl grey brûlée tart without too much fuss. So I decided to do just that. I purchased a batch of high quality tart shells from my favourite speciality food store, made a batch of earl grey custard, brûlée them and They. Were. Perfect.

Feel free to use your favourite homemade pastry recipe for these if you wish, but if you are a little strapped for time, you have my blessing to go forth and indulge in making this recipe as instructed. Regardless, these divine earl grey brûlée tarts will be some of the dreamiest, most delicious tarts you’ll ever taste.

Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts | The Polka Dotter
Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts | The Polka Dotter

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Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts

Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts | The Polka Dotter
Print Recipe

These tarts are pure joy – a creamy custard filling infused with earl grey and accentuated by the sweet crisp crunch of brulee topping. 

Ingredients

Scale

Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts

  • 8 x 8cm (3″) good-quality tart shells
  • 600ml double thick cream
  • 20g (4 tbsp) earl grey tea leaves
  • 8 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 100g caster sugar + extra to decorate
  • Edible flowers (fresh violas + dried cornflowers), to decorate

Instructions

Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts

  1. Heat cream and tea leaves in a medium saucepan until hot and steamy. Remove from heat and allow to cool and flavour to infuse for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until sugar dissolves.
  3. Pour infused cream through a fine mesh sieve and into egg yolk mixture, and whisk until combined.
  4. Place large bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water to create a double boiler (ensure the water does not touch the bowl).
  5. Continue whisking cream mixture until smooth and thick and coats the back of a spoon, 10-15 minutes. The mixture will be the colour and consistency of caramel.
  6. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Whisking the mixture every 5-10 minutes as it cools is recommended to ensure a smooth custard.
  7. Pour cooled custard into tart shells and allow to set in fridge for a few hours or overnight.

To Serve

  1. Tarts can be served at room temperature or cold as desired.
  2. Sprinkle tarts with a thin even layer of caster sugar then brûlée using a blow torch.
  3. Decorate with edible flowers (fresh violas and dried cornflowers). 

Enjoy!

Notes

Makes eight individual 8cm (3”) tarts

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thepolkadotter on Instagram and hashtag it #polkadotbakes

You may also like:
Chocolate Earl Grey Tart + Sea Salt (gf)
French Earl Grey Bundt Cake
Meyer Lemon Curd + White Chocolate Cheesecake Tart (gf)

Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts | The Polka Dotter
Earl Grey Brûlée Tarts | The Polka Dotter

Filed Under: Pies & Tarts Tagged With: Brûlée, Earl Grey

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Welcome!

Salma Sabdia | Food Photography

Hi, I’m Salma, and I love creating beautiful images and sweet treats. If you’re looking for a little baking inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

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Have you ever seen such stunning pink salt crystals? Any guesses what natural flavouring they’ve been paired with to give them this alluring hue? Hint: they aren’t Himalayan pink salt crystals! 
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It’s just one of many luxury ingredients you may find in your gourmet gift box at my Layer Cake Masterclass at @thehunterspantry on the 17th June 😉 If you would love the opportunity to bake and take home your very own Earl Grey Lavender Cake drizzled with Honey Salted Caramel and flecked with pink salt, along with a beautiful selection of carefully curated ingredients, now is your chance 😊
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Follow the link in profile to secure your ticket at this unique baking event!

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Do you dream in shades of earl grey and lavender? Does your mind constantly linger over delectable drips and puddles of honey salted caramel? If you love letting your imagination run wild with cake dreams, this is the workshop for you 💕

Join me for a very special baking experience at @thehunterspantry on Saturday June 17th where you will delight in learning how to bake my Earl Grey Lavender Cake + Honey Salted Caramel.

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