Date Tart with Cookie Crust
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Skip the time-consuming pastry crust and replace it with one made from cookie crumbs for a quick custard-based tart.
Ingredients
Crust
- 200gm biscuits plain graham crackers or maries or gluten free biscuits if you like
- 150gm butter (melted)
- 2 tsp brown sugar
Filling
- 8-10 fresh dates 1/2'd and deseeded
- 2 cups (480 ml) thick cream (I used thickened cream. If you dont have this use 1 cup double 1 cup pouring cream)
- 7 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) caster ( granulated ) sugar
- vanilla
- fresh grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180(390F). Prepare an 8 inch or 20cm shallow loose bottomed cake tin
- Break up the biscuits in a food processor till very fine. Add the brown sugar and the melted butter. Pulse till combined.
- Push the crumbs into the tin making sure there are no gaps or splits where the custard can leak through. Push to the top of the tin. Bake the case at 180C or ( 350F) for 10 – 15 minutes till just starting to colour. Cool a little while making the custard
- Turn the oven down to 150C (300F)
- Put the yolks, sugar,vanilla and cream into a processor and combine well.
- Put the cake tin on a tray. Line the base with cut dates in a circle around the outside and then inside that. Pour the cream mixture into the tart case and grate over fresh nutmeg. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until only just set. It will still be wobbly. Cool overnight in the fridge or just for a little while to firm up a fraction if you are eager to tuck in
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 490
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/date-tart-with-cookie-crust/
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when the custard filling is done — it still looks wobbly?
That’s exactly right. The recipe instructs you to bake at 150°C (300°F) for approximately 50 minutes until the filling is “only just set” and still wobbly. It will firm up as it cools, especially if refrigerated overnight as suggested.
Why must the biscuit crust have no gaps before blind baking?
The instructions specifically warn to ensure there are no gaps or splits in the crumb crust before baking it — if there are cracks, the liquid custard filling will leak through when you pour it in, making the tart difficult to slice cleanly.
Does this recipe use fresh or dried dates?
The recipe calls for 8–10 fresh dates, halved and deseeded. They are arranged in the tart base before the cream custard is poured over them, so fresh dates are needed for the right texture and sweetness. 
