Amarula and rooibos custard tartlets

Ingredients:

• 1 roll (400g) shortcrust pastry, defrosted 
• Flour, for dusting 
• 1½ cups (375ml) milk 
• 2 rooibos tea bags 
• ½ cup (125ml) Amarula liqueur  
• 4 egg yolks 
• ¼ cup (30g) cornflour 
• ½ cup (110g) castor sugar 

Meringue topping: 

• 3 egg whites 
• Pinch of salt 
• ¾ cup (165g) castor sugar 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C  
2. Grease eight 6cm loose-bottomed tartlet pans (or four 10cm tartlet pans) with non-stick spray. 
3. Roll pastry to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface. 
4. Cut out pastry circles 3cm bigger than tartlet pans. 
5. Line pans with pastry, prick bases all over using a fork, top with baking paper and fill with baking beans or raw rice. 
6. Blind-bake for 10-12 minutes, remove paper and beans, and bake for a further 8-10 minutes until completely cooked. 
7. Cool for 5 minutes, then unmould and cool completely on a wire rack. 
8. Warm milk in a pot, turn heat off and add tea bags.  
9. Allow tea to infuse for 10 minutes, then discard bags. 
10. Add Amarula and warm until just hot to the touch. 
11. Whisk together egg yolks, cornflour and sugar until smooth. 
12. Gradually add warmed milk mixture to egg mixture while whisking continuously. 
13. Return custard to pot and boil for 4 minutes while whisking, until thick and cooked. 
14. Set aside to cool. 
15. For topping, whisk egg whites and salt using an electric whisk to medium-stiff peaks. 
16. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and whisk for 2-3 minutes (or until sugar is dissolved) before adding the next spoon. The meringue mixture should be smooth and glossy. 
17. Spoon cooled custard into tartlet cases. 
18. Pipe meringue onto tartlets and brown with a blowtorch, if you like. 

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