These light golden syrup tarts have a beautiful golden-amber colour. The filling should be like a light, wobbly caramelised custard.

method

Brush four 10 cm x 3.5 cm deep loose-based tart tins with melted butter.

Roll the pastry out to 3 mm thick and cut into four 15 cm rounds.

Knead the excess dough back together and roll it out again to get a few more discs to keep in the freezer.

Place the pastry rounds on top of the tart tins and gently push them into the tins, moving around the rim until all of the pastry has been inserted — you should now have about 1 cm of dough hanging over the sides. Use your index finger and thumb to work your way around the edge, forcing the pastry into the tins so that little or no pastry is protruding. Where the upright edge meets the base, ensure a sharp angle is formed — this helps prevent shrinkage when baking.

Rest the pastry cases in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Blind-bake the pastry cases for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Turn the oven down to 110°C (no fan). Place the cooled tart shells on a baking tray.

Put the cream, golden syrup, egg yolks and vanilla seeds in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until combined.

Strain the mixture and pour into the tart shells. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the filling is just set.

Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 200°C. Warm the remaining golden syrup until thin and runny, then gently pour over the tart fillings, being careful not to break the surface.

Return to the oven for 3–5 minutes, until lightly browned (or place under a hot grill).

note

Cool for 30 minutes before serving.