Chocolate Custard Tarts

Preheat the oven to 200 ̊C. Lightly grease a 12 hole, 1⁄2 cup capacity muffin tin.

Custard: Whisk the egg, egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour and cocoa in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk and tip into a saucepan.

Place the mixture over a medium-low heat and, whisking constantly, cook until it forms a thick, glossy custard. This will take at least 8-10 minutes. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat or let the custard boil as it will curdle and look grainy. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate to melt.

Tip into a bowl and cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Cool.

To cook: Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured bench and cut into 12 cm squares. Line the tart tins, pleating the sides and letting the corners of the pastry poke up. Chill until firm. Brush the edges with egg wash. Divide the custard between the pastry cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is a good golden colour and the filling is puffed.

Remove from the tins and place on a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12.

Dutch Cocoa: this richer, darker cocoa has an alkali added, which neutralizes the cocoa’s acidity. The process is known as ‘dutching’ – the cocoa is not from Holland. Available from specialty stores and good supermarkets.