Light and Sweet Saffron Crème Brûlée Tart

Crème Brûlée Tart with Saffron filling

Looking for the perfect Crème Brulee recipe? We got you! We have brought you a divine combination of crème brûlée and real saffron in an exciting new recipe explained in simple and easy steps. The earthy flavours of saffron go exceptionally well with a sweetened crème brûlée tart, ideal to end your day with a sweet, luscious dessert that melts in your mouth.

Saffron Tart Ingredients

For the pastry case

Plain flour (225g + 1 tablespoon to dust)
Salt (1 pinch)
Icing sugar (65g)
Chilled lightly salted butter (125g)
Egg yolk (1, large)
Coldwater (4-5 teaspoons)
Uncooked rice or baking beans (1 cup)

For the filling

Saffron threads (1 teaspoon)
Jersey milk or Whole cream milk (100ml)
Double cream (500ml)
Free-range egg yolks (6, large)
Caster sugar (50g)

For brûlée topping

Caster sugar (4 tablespoons)

Saffron Creme Brulee Preparation

First, prepare the pastry; sift the flour and icing sugar in a clean, dry bowl. This step is essential to make your dish look smooth and lumps-free. Also, it will make the flour light and airy.
In this recipe, you need to use slightly salted chilled butter. So, only take the butter out of the refrigerator when making the pastry. The butter needs to be cut into small cubes.
Put flour, salt, icing sugar and butter cubes into a food processor. Process it for about 30 seconds or until everything is well combined. The mixture will look like fine breadcrumbs.
Add around 4 teaspoons of cold water to one large egg yolk. Beat the egg yolk and water mixture briefly for 10 to 15 seconds.
Put the flour mixture in a bowl and add the egg yolk and water mixture. Mix everything well with the help of a spatula. Stir and press everything into a small ball. You can add more cold water to make it smooth if the mixture looks dry.
Now, dust flour onto a smooth surface to knead a dough. Put the mixture on the dusted surface and start kneading it briefly or until a smooth dough is formed.
Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it and let it set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the dough from the fridge and put it on a surface dusted with flour.
The next step is to thinly roll the dough and then line it inside a loose-bottomed tart tin of 23cm x 4cm. Rest it inside the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and put a baking sheet onto the rack.

Crème Brûlée Tart with Saffron filling

Cooking Instructions

It is time to bake the tart. Take an aluminium foil and line it inside the pastry, covering the bottom and the edges completely.
Fill the foil with uncooked rice or baking beans and put it on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake the tart for 15-20 minutes or until the edges turn slightly golden.
Take the pastry case out of the oven and carefully remove the foil with baking beans or uncooked rice.
Cover the edges of the pastry again with the aluminium foil strips and put it back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the bottom and edges become crisp and golden brown.
While the pastry is in the oven, prepare the filling. Put a saucepan on the stove at medium to high heat.
Heat some milk until it almost reaches the boiling point.
Grind the saffron strands into a fine powder.
Mix the saffron powder into the heated milk, mix it well and then set it aside to let it cool.
After 5 minutes, take the cooked pastry out of the oven and let it cool at room temperature. Bring the oven heat to around 140°C. Leave the baking sheet in the oven.
Pour some double cream into the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Stir it occasionally.
Meanwhile, whisk 6 egg yolks with the caster sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the heated double cream into the egg and sugar mixture and gently stir it with a whisk. Then add the saffron-infused milk and lightly mix everything.
Using a fine sieve, pour the mixture into a jug and remove any foam on the top using a spoon.
Pour this crème brûlée mixture into the tart and carefully put the tart back on the baking sheet into the oven. Bake it for about 25 to 30 minutes.
When it is done, take the crème brûlée tart out of the oven and let it chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
The final step is to sprinkle the 4 tablespoons of caster sugar evenly over the top. Caramelize the sugar with a blow torch until it is crisp and brown.