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Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 138 reviews

An elegant Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart featuring a crisp sweet shortcrust pastry infused with Earl Grey tea leaves, filled with a silky Earl Grey-infused custard, and topped with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust. This sophisticated dessert combines the fragrant bergamot notes of Earl Grey with classic French custard techniques for a refined treat perfect for tea time or special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

  • 220 g plain flour (all-purpose)
  • 40 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
  • 6 g ground Earl Grey tea leaves
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • 110 g unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 15–30 ml ice cold water
  • 1 egg plus 1 tbsp milk (for egg wash)

Earl Grey Custard Filling

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 70 g caster sugar (superfine)
  • 480 ml double cream (heavy cream)
  • 2 Earl Grey tea bags
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 40–60 g caster sugar (superfine) for topping

Instructions

  1. Make the Dough: Sift the plain flour, powdered icing sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Add the ground Earl Grey tea leaves and chopped butter. Rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  2. Form the Dough: Stir in the beaten egg and ice cold water, starting with 15 ml and adding more as needed, until the mixture starts to come together. Use your hands to gently bring the dough into a ball and then shape it into a disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Prepare the Tart Tin: Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a coin and approximately 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter. Carefully lift the dough and fit it into your tart tin, pressing gently onto the base and sides. Trim off excess dough and refrigerate the tart shell overnight to firm up.
  4. Blind Bake and Seal: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Dock the base of the tart shell with a fork. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights. Make an egg wash by whisking together 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk. Brush the base of the tart with the egg wash to seal and return to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes until the pastry looks lightly golden and the base feels firm to touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C (300°F).
  5. Steep the Tea in Cream: In a saucepan over low heat, warm the double cream with the 2 Earl Grey tea bags until steaming with small bubbles forming around the edges. Remove from heat and allow the tea bags to steep for 20 minutes, squeezing them gently occasionally to extract flavor without bitterness. Remove and discard tea bags.
  6. Prepare the Custard: In a medium bowl, whisk the 6 large egg yolks with 70 g caster sugar until mixture is pale and fluffy. Gradually pour the warm, steeped cream into the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream while continuously whisking to combine smoothly. Stir in the vanilla bean paste. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a jug to remove any solids or foam.
  7. Fill and Bake the Tart: Place the tart shell on the oven shelf and carefully pour the custard filling into the shell up to near the top of the pastry rim to prevent spills. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is set but still has a slight wobble in the center.
  8. Cool and Chill: Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate for 2-4 hours until fully set.
  9. Caramelize the Topping: Just before serving, sprinkle 40-60 g caster sugar evenly over the custard surface. Using a kitchen blow torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it forms a golden brown crisp crust. For an extra crunchy top, sprinkle a thin second layer of sugar and torch again until caramelized. Let the sugar harden for 5 minutes before cracking and serving.

Notes

  • Grinding Earl Grey tea leaves from loose leaf tea provides a stronger flavor in the pastry than tea bags—use your preference.
  • If you do not have pie weights, dried beans or rice can be used for blind baking.
  • Be careful not to overheat the cream when steeping; avoid boiling to prevent bitterness.
  • Gently squeeze the tea bags rather than forcefully pressing to prevent bitterness in the custard.
  • Allow the tart to chill thoroughly after baking to achieve the best custard texture before caramelizing the topping.
  • Use a kitchen blow torch for the classic brûlée effect; alternatively, a very hot broiler can be used carefully.

Keywords: Earl Grey, Crème Brûlée, Tart, Earl Grey custard, Shortcrust pastry, French dessert, Tea-infused custard, Caramelized sugar topping

Find it online: https://thehungrymason.com/earl-grey-creme-brulee-tart-recipe/