This Custard Tart with Citrus and Dates is a very special dessert to make when you want all those delicious citrus flavours. I dare you not to LOVE it
I came across this old post and I wanted to re-share it because not only does it have a good story attached but it is one hell of a date recipe. Recently I have been working on recipes with dates and took some inspiration from this little blast from the past. Hopefully you don’t mind me sharing again …x
Bullies most certainly were around when I went to school, they aren’t new but nobody really cared then. We suffered mercilessly and without any kind of parental protection. Were we stronger or just too scared to tell?
Get out the way you ugly Tart , she spat at my little sister, and I saw red.
Sharon was in every dark corner, in the girls toilets … at the change rooms…. at sport and in the canteen if you had money. In all of these places she had something nasty to say , she was hungry or needed money and she had several side kicks. There was one thing everyone knew about Sharon and that was that you never said no to her, never answered her back and moved out of the way when she told you to.
It was a bit of a shame that she caught our bus home in the afternoon. She was Queen of her domain in the bus. An enclosed tight space where no one could run or hide, where she could sneer or swear with no one to stop her. Every one moved when she bellowed at them and looked down as she passed just in case she caught your eye.
My sister was at the front of the bus trying to look small, looking at the ground. Still she was being called a Tart and I really felt angry
I moved down to the back of the bus after her and, as we threw our bags in the aisle she turned on me
” Hey aren’t you that Tarts sister?”. The side kicks snickered and she smirked as she glanced either way for their approval . Sharon was standing in the isle, facing me with her back to the end of the bus and although she was short, her look of sheer hatred could have scared a giant. I stood there facing her my heart thumping and my mind racing- would she hit me or push me, and what would I do if she jumped on me and started pulling my hair out? There were suddenly no sounds other than the blood pounding in my ears. No one was talking, there was just the engine of the bus firing up and the rattle and hum of it idling.
“What are you looking at?” The ugly curl of her lip made her sidekicks smile in anticipation. I found the only smart arse thing I could dig from the inside of my empty brain.
“I don’t know there’s no sign on it” I said, with impressive attitude I certainly didn’t feel.
She was so enraged she stepped forward and put her hand up to push me. In my defence, I raised my hand meeting the top of her arm just as the bus pulled out of the bay. The momentum threw her backward and me forward!. Sharon went flying onto the floor littered with bags, her dress over her head and her feet in the air. I clung to a seat with one hand and balanced myself as the driver gunned the engine. The whole bus was quiet just for a second. I felt a surge of terror but managed to deliver the threat I was sure would be beaten out of me at a later date.
“Don’t call my sister a tart again… do you hear?” My finger trembled as I jabbed it in her direction and then, every one cheered.
She did sneer at me but she never came near me or my sister again. This went down in legend. People talked about me bashing Sharon for a long time. Of course I never owned up to being a fraud. That wasn’t done either, back then…..
This is a tart that doesn’t mind being called one. Custard Tart with Citrus and Dates.
Custard Tart with Citrus and Dates
Ingredients
- 1 20 cm pastry case pre-baked
- 40 ml Tangelo juice or other citrus juice
- 300 ml thickened cream 1 1/4 Aust cups
- 3 whole egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons caster sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Tangelo Zest or lime, orange or mandarin
Marinated dates
- 2 whole tangelos segmented without pith
- 500 gram dates fresh de-seed and cut them half
- 100 gm caster sugar granulated, 1/2 Aust cup
- 250 ml Tangelo juice 1 Aust cup, or other citrus juice
- 4 pieces Extra Tangelo zest for flavour will be discarded when finished
Instructions
- have your blind baked pastry case measuring 20 cm or 8 inches ready. Pre-heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F for the filling.
- In a bowl whisk the yolks, cream, juice zest and sugar together with the vanilla until very well combined.
- Pour this into the cooked tart shell and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until just set ( my tart tin is only 5 cm deep).
- Cool the tart. The custard will be more silky and soft if baked till just wobbly and eaten on the same day without going into the fridge. But if you need to refrigerate for the next day, it will taste beautiful then too..
To make the Topping
- Put the juice, sugar & extra zest in a wide bottomed pot and bring to the boil. Turn down and stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved.
- Turn off the heat and toss the pitted dates in the syrup. Pop the lid on the pot and let them steep until cooled.
- Segment two Tangelos or other citrus fruit.
- To serve toss the fresh segments with the dates and some syrup in a bowl, removing the extra zest pieces.
- Place this salad onto the top of the tart and serve with extra whipped cream . I added tiny basil leaves.
Notes
A story worth retelling – and a gorgeous tart 🙂
I love a ‘GOOD’ Tart.
What a mean, mean , mean girl, I just don’t get why kids have to be like that, go you sticking up for your little sister, loved reading your story and loving the sounds of your recipe too.
Have a great weekend. Thanks for linking up with Fabulous Foodie Fridays xx
Haha yes totally beats up any other tarts out there!
hmm, simply dman delicious sweet bites!!!
Dates used to be on sale nerby ramadhan month here in Indonesia, i think thx to you i have a great recipe for that now
What a story!! Gosh kids can be cruel! Mind you, give them one of these tarts and no one could be a meanie after that!!
A beautiful tart, but an even better message.
I love this so much. You are an awesome sister and I LOVE that the Universe conspired to help you fight off the bully 🙂
Unfortunately ugly people, I mean on the inside of course, have always existed. I’m glad that you stood up to her and that the bus movement worked against her.
The tart looks splendid Tania! It really does look like it came from a Parisian patisserie. Thanks for being a part of the YBR:)
Thanks once again for the hard work…..
Tart, tart! You’re a delicious tart! Wait until I sink my teeth into you.
OK, that was our juvenile moment of the day. I loved the story, nothing like combining a bully getting her comeuppance and a delicious dessert to make my heart sing.
Splendid and surely divine! That combination is really original.
Cheers,
Rosa
Well done you. What an awful girl and I’m sure she’s amounted to nothing. I’m glad she had her day of humiliation as she certainly needed to be put in her place. And good on you for sticking up for yourself and your sister. This tart is beautiful and I just love the look of it – congrats xx
This is perfectly made and really mouthwatering!
I would like to make some servings this weekend!
LOL I loved this story Tania! I bet it’s the stuff of legend 🙂
MMMMMM,…Your created tart looks like it comes from an excellent patissier! A job well done! That tart looks heavenly!:) Perfect, just for me! 😉
Almost healthy
You rock! Bullies make everybody’s life a misery. I loved hearing about your bus encounter and your tart looks absolutely fantastic. Great post!
A gorgeous tart, Tania. I have enjoyed reading the tart story behind it ;-))
Thankl you Angie
it did taste amazing- even after a gigantic rib eye perfectly cooked by miss Tania!
I love the story!!! where is Sharon today??? No where near your tart I hope!
Dont know where she is and if she tried to eeat this tart Id slap her!
Yay for you my friend!! We had a Shelly at my school, and one day I just couldn’t take it anymore and pushed her. She went head over held backwards knocking down her hench-freaks like bowling pins. It felt soooooo good. And she certainly treated me more warily after that too 🙂
I love your tart, it sounds awesome and most deliciously like a celebration of the little guy!
What a lovely story…good for you brave girl
Beautiful tart and a great photo, Tania, but an even better story! 🙂
Thanks Celia ….. actually it tasted pretty good
That tart looks like it could beat any other tart up. Great story of an unwilling heroine.
Ha Ha nicely put Suzanne