Parisian Flan (Flan Pâtissier)

5 from 7 votes

Parisian Flan (Flan Pâtissier)

This Parisian Flan, aka "Flan Pâtissier" in French, is a classic French Dessert that is deliciously creamy. This French Baked Custard Tart is perfect for a dinner party dessert or afternoon tea.

Prep Time40

Cook Time50

Resting Time6

Total Time7 30

Course: afternoon tea, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Calories: 371kcal

Author: Sylvie

Ingredients

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)

100 gr Unsalted Butter very soft
40 gr Confectioner's Sugar or Powdered Sugar
1 large Egg at room temperature
40 gr Almond Meal
1 pinch Fine Table Salt
200 gr Plain / All-Purpose Flour

Vanilla Custard

5 large Eggs at room temperature
100 gr Caster Sugar
100 gr Cornstarch sifted
250 ml Heavy / Thickened Cream 35% fat
2 teaspoon Vanilla Paste or two fresh vanilla bean pods
1000 ml Full Cream / Whole Milk

Instructions

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée)

Place the soft butter and Confectioner's Sugar in the bowl of your mixer and cream it until just combined. Mix in the Egg and Almond Meal.
Add the Salt and Flour and mix on the lowest speed until just combined.
Divide the pastry in two equal parts. Place them each between two sheets of baking paper each and roll them thinly, about 2 to 3mm or 1/16 to 1/8 inch (see note 1). Place in the fridge to chill and rest for at least 1 hour.
Prepare a large baking tray and line if with a sheet of baking paper or a baking mat. With the first rolled pastry, cut out the bottom of the crust with a 25 cm / 10 inch Pastry Ring (see note 2).
With the second rolled pastry, cut out long strips that are as high as your pastry ring. Place the strips of pastry against the edges of the pastry ring to create the sides of the crust. Slightly overlap each strip and press on the seam to connect them. Gently press on the corner between the bottom and sides to make sure they are touching and avoid any leakage. Cut out any excess pastry with a small sharp knife.
Place back in the fridge to chill and rest for at least 1 hour - or up to 24 hours.

Vanilla Custard

Preheat your oven on 200’C/390’F.
In a large heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the Eggs and Sugar until just combined. Whisk in the sifted Cornstarch, then the Cream and Vanilla (see note 3 if using fresh vanilla bean).
Heat up the Milk on low to medium low heat until it simmers. Pour it over the Egg batter while continuously whisking to temper the eggs, whisk well until combined, then transfer it all back into the pot on the stove.
Cook on low to medium low heat until the liquid starts to thicken, continuously whisking to avoid lumps (see note 4). Pour it into the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry.
Place it in the oven and drop the temperature to 180'C/350'F. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the skin created on top of the baked custard is golden brown (see note 5).
Remove from the oven and leave to cool down at room temperature for about 1 hour, then place in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours - preferably overnight.

Video

Notes

General Disclaimer:I highly recommend using the measurements in grams/ml (instead of cups/spoons) for more accuracy and the best results.

I used a 25 cm wide by 5 cm high Pastry Ring (10 inch by 2 inch) for this recipe. You can use a deep pie or tart pan if preferred. Note that if you are using a different size pastry ring or tart/pie pan, the baking time might need to be adjusted.

For more details, tips and troubleshooting on the pastry used here, read my Sweet Shortcrust Pastry recipe.

Instruction Notes:

Both pieces of pastry need to be quite thin or your won't have enough. The first part of the pastry should be rolled wide enough to fill the bottom of the pastry ring that is 25 cm wide by 5 cm high (10 x 2 inch). The second part should be shaped more into a long rectangle as we will cut out strips of pastry to create the edges of the crust.
I usually place the pastry on top of the lined baking tray then cut it out with the pastry ring directly on it so I don't have to move the pastry again. If you don't have a pastry ring, you can use a deep pie or tart pan.
If you are using fresh Vanilla Bean pods, you will want to add it to the Milk during the next step. Cut the Vanilla Beans in half and scrap the seeds. Add both the pods and seeds to the Milk, heat it up, then turn off the the heat, cover the pot and let it infuse for 20 minutes.
If the custard gets lumpy after you cook it, try to whisk it vigorously to break out any lumps first. If that does not work, pour it through a sieve to remove any large lumps and/or use an immersion blender on its lowest speed to blend it and smooth it out.
The custard should be still slightly moving when you move the tray - it will fully set when it chills.

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