Mango Tart, Parisian Flan

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Give your next Parisian flan a seasonal twist with mango puree in this mango tart. Rich shortcrust pastry filled with a delicious creamy mango custard, baked until golden, and blistered on the top.

We are starting to see mangoes in the markets these days and it's one of our family's favorite fruits. While we love mangoes on their own, I also love to make desserts with them. As you can see on the blog, I have lots of mango treats. Some classic and some unique, like this mango flan tart.

Table of Content

• Why make this tart?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• 10 tips - perfect flan tart
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Recipe

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Why make this tart?

This is a surprisingly simple and easy dessert to make. But it requires some planning. There are two components to this Parisian flan.

• The shortcrust pastry - you can make it yourself from scratch, as I have in the recipe and video, or you can use ready-to-roll store-bought pastry.
• The pastry cream - this can be made up to two days in advance. Just give it a good whip to make it workable again before adding it to the tart shell.

Timeline for making this mango tart

• Prepare the shortcrust pastry - 10 min
• Chill the pastry - 30 mins to overnight
• Prepare the pastry cream - 15 mins
• Chill the pastry cream - 30 mins to overnight
• Roll and prebake the shortcrust pastry - 20 mins
• Assemble and bake - 30 mins
• Cool - 4 hrs to overnight

Ingredients and substitutes

• Shortcrust pastry - I am using homemade shortcrust pastry. And yet, you can certainly use store-bought ready to roll shortcrust pastry. If you choose to use homemade I do have two shortcrust pastry recipes - one using the crumbling method similar to a pie crust and other using the creaming method as shown in the video for this recipe.
• Mango - I am using fresh because they are in season, but you can certainly use frozen mangoes.
• Egg yolks - The color of the pastry cream is largely dependant on the color of the egg yolks. Personally, I like to use organic free-range eggs.
• Cream - Adds richness but also keeps the pastry cream thick. I recommend you do not use less than 32 to 38% fat.
• Milk - Of course, full-fat milk, no low-fat or skimmed will work in this recipe.
• Cornstarch - I like using fewer egg yolks and more cornstarch, which is the secret to making this flan fool-proof. With this method, you will not have the pastry cream split on you.

Step by step instructions

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Shortcrust pastry

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and sugar for just a minute until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and egg yolk. Combine well.`
• Pro tip - we do not want to add too much air into our pastry so do not cream for too long.
• Add the flour and almond meal. Combine well but do not overmix.
  Pro tip - we do not want to activate any gluten so do not overmix. just combine until you have not dry flour.
• Make a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
  Pro tip - this dough does need to chill until it is firm enough to roll otherwise it will be sticky when rolling needing excess flour which we want to avoid.
• When chilled roll on a lightly floured surface about 2 inches larger than the circumference of the tart pan or to about ⅛ inch thickness.
• Line the 9-inch tart and trim excess dough at the edges. Use the trimming to patch any cracks or gaps that may be in the dough.
  Pro tip - this is a very forgiving dough so if you do break it, just patch it up with the trimmings.
• Chill for a minimum of 15 minutes.

Pastry cream

• In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine egg yolks and sugar. Add the cornstarch - combine well with a whisk
• Then, add the salt and vanilla extract. Followed by the cream and milk. Stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
• Place it on medium heat and stir continuously until thick and creamy.
  Pro tip - it is very important to keep the heat to medium-low and stir continuously to prevent the milk scorching at the bottom.

• Add the mango puree - and combine well. Strain in a bowl through a sieve and cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic touches the top surface of the cream.
  Pro tip - straining will remove any curdles eggs and give a smooth creamy texture.
• Let it cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge to chill.

Assemble

• Preheat the oven at 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5
• Line the chilled dough with parchment paper.
  Pro tip – to ensure the parchment paper conforms to the shape of the pan – just crumple the paper into a ball with your hands. Open it up and the scrunched paper will behave itself.
• Fill the inside of the shell with pie weights (over the parchment paper). Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are lightly starting to brown.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F /177 C/ Gas Mark 4
• Remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Then, fill the tart with pastry cream filling, using a spatula to smooth the top.

• Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Then, cover the edges with a pie shield or aluminum foil to prevent the crust from getting too dark.
  Pro tip - While we want the blisters on the flan we also want to prevent the edges from getting burnt so make sure to cover the edges.
• Continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes more until blistered on the top.
• Remove from the oven, and let cool. Then place in the refrigerator for at least 4 to 6 hours.
• This is a rich dessert and can be served on its own.

10 tips - perfect flan tart

1. Use all egg yolks, no egg whites. Egg yolks will thicken while egg whites will curdle. If you want to use fewer egg yolks increase the quantity of cornstarch but don't use egg whites.
2. Use full-fat milk and cream - otherwise, the custard will not set.
3. Cook the pastry cream on low heat to prevent the eggs from curdling.
4. When cooking pastry cream, it is ok to take it on and off the heat to prevent curdling.
5. You must cook the pastry cream custard until it comes to a boil. Only then, will the cornstarch in the mixture activate and thicken the custard.
6. Cook the pastry cream until it is thick. You want it to not just coat the back of the spoon but much thicker than that.
7. Cool the pastry cream to room temperature before you pour it into the tart pan. This will prevent curdling.
8. Pre-bake the pastry crust. This will give a nice crisp shortcrust pastry.
9. Use a pie shield or aluminum foil to cover the edges and prevent the crust from getting too brown.
10. Bake the tart until it has blistered on top, that is the mark of a beautiful flan.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

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