The development of custard is so intimately connected with the custard tart or pie that the word itself comes from Anglo-Norman *crustade, meaning a kind of pie. It is derived from Anglo-Norman crust corresponding to Frenchcroust. It is related to 18th century French croustade probably borrowed from Italian crostata, derived from crosta, more probably than Occitan croustado « tart ». Some other names for varieties of custard tarts in the Middle Ages were doucettes and darioles. In 1399, the coronation banquet prepared for Henry IV included "doucettys". Medieval recipes generally included a shortcrust and puff pastry case filled with a mixture of cream, milk, or broth with eggs, sweeteners such as sugar or honey, and sometimes spices. Recipes existed as early as the fourteenth century that would still be recognisable as custard tarts today. Tarts could also be prepared with almond milk during times of fasting such as Lent, though this was rather expensive and would have been available only to the well-off. Often, savoury ingredients such as minced pork or beef marrow were also added, but unlike a modern quiche the custard filling itself was invariably sweet. In Portugal the tarts are dusted with cinnamon; in Britainnutmeg is often used.
Modern versions
Modern custard tarts are usually made from shortcrust pastry, eggs, sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla, sprinkled with nutmeg and baked. Unlike egg tarts, custard tarts are normally served at room temperature. They are available either as individual tarts, generally around across, or as larger tarts intended to be divided into slices.
Custard tarts have long been a favourite pastry in Britain and the Commonwealth where they are often called "egg custard tarts" or simply "egg custards" to distinguish the egg-based filling from the commonly served cornflour-based custards. They are sold in supermarkets and bakeries throughout the UK. In the UK, the custard tart is regarded as a classic British dish. A version by Marcus Wareing was selected on the BBC television programme Great British Menu as the final course of a banquet to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday.. The tarts are either made as a single large tart from which slices are cut, or as smaller individual starlets. Classically they are invariably topped only with a dusting of nutmeg-fruit topping in the French style or cinnamon dusting in the Dutch style is not typical. Variations on the classic recipe include the Manchester tart, where a layer of jam is spread on the pastry before the custard is added. Other versions may have some fresh fruit, such as rhubarb, cooked into the filling. Versions topped with elaborate arrangements of fruit show the influence of French pâtisserie.
Hong Kong
Indonesia
The Indonesian version is called pai susu from Bali. This pastry consisting of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard as well as condensed milk and baked. Contrary to other versions of this pie, this Indonesian version is very flat with the filling practically only consists of one very thin layer of custard. Other types of Indonesian pie tart is pastel de nata.
France
Custard tarts in France – where they are known as flans pâtissiers – their filling may contain fruit, making them similar to clafoutis.
