Chocolate Custard Tarts

Use your favourite liqueur when making these tarts. Nut, orange and coffee liqueurs all go well with chocolate as do whisky and rum.

• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• ¾ cup cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoon liqueur
• 3 egg yolks
• 100 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 sheets ready-rolled butter puff pastry
• icing sugar for dusting

Lightly grease a 12 hole standard muffin tin.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Combine the caster sugar and cornflour in small saucepan.

Gradually whisk in a little of the cream to make a smooth paste then stir in the remaining cream, milk and the liqueur.

Place over a medium low heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens then cook for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the egg yolks and the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool.

Stack the three sheets of pastry on top of each other and roll up tightly into a log. Cut into 12 even pieces.

Place each piece, cut side down on a lightly floured bench and using the palm of your hand, squash out to a 12 cm circle.

Press it firmly into the muffin tin and prick the base with a fork.

Bake for 8 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and use the back of a teaspoon to flatten the pastry back against the sides of the tins.

Divide the cooled custard between the tart cases and bake for 8-10 minutes until the pastry is well cooked and golden and the custard is softly set.

Serve warm or cooled, dusted with icing sugar. Eat on the day of making. Makes 12