A scrumptious French custard tart, additionally known as a flan, it’s a quite simple to make, additionally gluten-free and fewer wealthy as a result of with out pastry dough. This recipe will clarify French Chef Christophe Michalak’s recipe.
Some will say that it’s a scandal to make a vanilla pastry flan with out dough, which can also be not spherical as you possibly can see in these pictures… There are certainly no markers of the normal Parisian flan that may be present in virtually all of the bakeries of the French capital metropolis. But it surely tastes identical to a basic Parisian flan.
I can nonetheless assure you that the style is there! You’ll nonetheless discover the scrumptious and delicate style of vanilla with out it being too candy. It’s like biting right into a flan, minus the dough. It’s subsequently much less wealthy and far simpler and faster to arrange. This dough-free flan is subsequently a bit lighter and above all gluten-free.
The texture of this pastry is creamy and silky within the mouth. Its shade may be very marked on the floor, as with many conventional flans. This is because of cooking in a extremely popular oven in the beginning. And its barely ethereal texture is as a result of (optionally available) mixer used earlier than cooking.
Serve with a scrumptious tea or a scorching chocolate, seize a guide and calm down, you’ll really feel such as you’re sitting in a Parisian cozy café.

French Chef Christophe Michalak’s recipe
The recipe I’m sharing with all of you right this moment was initially shared by French Chef Christophe Michalak throughout the first confinement, making this nice basic of French pastry a really inexpensive dessert as a result of it’s comparatively simple to make.
For this recipe the one preparation is making a vanilla pastry cream which is poured right into a mould in a really beneficiant thick layer to then be baked within the oven. To prepare dinner this you have to first prepare dinner on excessive warmth as this provides it its vibrant prime so attribute of the pastry flan, which seems to be virtually burnt when it’s not in any respect, you need to then decrease the oven temperature a bit for the remainder of the cooking.
The precise course of of constructing this french custard tart with no dough is nonetheless a little lengthy, not due to its complexity within the steps however as a result of there are a number of resting durations.
- The Chef recommends to softly let the vanilla infuse into the milk. You possibly can skip this step but it surely’s a slight disgrace particularly if you would like a flan with an excellent vanilla taste. You can additionally improve the amount of vanilla moderately than letting the smaller quantity infuse however it’s an costly product whose costs have exploded just lately.
- You should then let the pastry cream relaxation for not less than thirty minutes earlier than baking within the oven.
- Lastly, after cooking, let the flan cool and relaxation for not less than two hours, the extra the higher. That is what is going to assist the cream get its attribute density of a pastry flan.“

Somewhat deal with the true recipe for a Parisian flan
The bottom
A pastry cream. I’ve already posted the recipe for pastry cream on this weblog. I encourage you to go and skim as a result of there are many in depth explanations, suggestions and tips for making an ideal vanilla pastry cream.
The proportions usually are not the identical as on this recipe from Chef Christophe Michalak who makes use of cornstarch however the primary ideas are the identical.
The basic Parisian flan
The proportions usually are not the identical as on this recipe from Christophe Michalak who makes use of cornstarch, which is gluten-free, however the primary ideas are the identical.
It’s made in a really excessive mould, ideally 6 centimeters, to offer it an excellent thickness (both a springform mould or a circle of pastry positioned on a baking tray coated with parchment paper).
Relying on the recipes, you possibly can use puff pastry or shortcrust pastry which is lined within the mould and put within the fridge, or within the freezer, earlier than filling with pastry cream for an ideal consequence.
The custard filling is like right here cooled, ideally even chilly moderately than at room temperature. Lastly, baking is completed at each regular temperature and extremely popular temperatures as right here, the order varies relying on the recipes.
And like right here we let it relaxation in order that the pastry flan units properly earlier than consuming it. As you possibly can see it’s extra advanced and longer to do.



French custard tart
A scrumptious french custard tart, additionally known as a flan, it’s a quite simple to make and in addition gluten-free and fewer wealthy as a result of with out dough. This recipe will clarify French Chef Christophe Michalak’s recipe. Some will say that it’s a scandal to make a vanilla pastry flan with out dough. I can nonetheless assure you that the style is there! You’ll nonetheless discover the scrumptious and delicate style of vanilla with out it being too candy. It is like biting right into a flan, minus the dough.
Stop sleep
Prepare dinner the identical approach for pastry cream
For an 18 cm spherical mould
The primary preparation steps: infuse the vanilla into the milk and cream combination. We combine eggs with sugar then cornstarch to which we add the recent vanilla dairy product. We thicken it within the pan like after we put together a custard, we combine if needed. Lastly we bake within the oven. Watch out there are relaxation instances. Make this dessert 4 hours earlier than serving it as a result of you could have twice half-hour of relaxation throughout preparation (infusing the vanilla and earlier than placing it within the oven) and a couple of hours after cooking.