Mirabelle Tart with a Gingerbread Flan Base

Ingredients

• 350 g Ready‑made shortcrust pastry (At room temperature, kept chilled until use)
• 125 ml Whole milk (Prefer whole for richer flavor)
• 175 ml Whole liquid cream (30% fat)
• 100 g Gingerbread (Finely crumbled)
• 20 g Unsalted butter (At room temperature for easy incorporation)
• 1 Whole egg
• 2 Egg yolks
• 100 g Brown sugar
• 50 g Cornstarch
• 700 g Fresh mirabelles (Wash, stem and halve)
• 20 g Liquid honey (To brush the flan before assembly)
• 10 g Icing sugar (To dust the tart edge)
• 100 g White pastry chocolate (Melt for glazing)

Instructions

1. Prepare the shortcrust base

   Lightly flour the work surface and the dough, roll it out to a thickness of 2 to 3 mm, then place it in the 26 cm tart ring, cut off the excess and press the edges.

   Time: PT20M

2. Chill

   Place the tart base in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then in the freezer for 10 minutes for a complete set.

   Time: PT15M

3. Heat the milk, cream and gingerbread

   In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and crumbled gingerbread. Heat over medium heat until a gentle boil.

   Time: PT5M

4. Mix the egg, yolks, brown sugar and cornstarch

   In a bowl, whisk the whole egg, the two yolks, the brown sugar and the cornstarch until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

   Time: PT5M

5. Cook the flan

   Pour the hot milk‑cream mixture over the egg mixture while whisking, return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the first boil, then continue for 1 minute.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: 90°C

6. Incorporate the butter

   Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the unsalted butter in pieces, mix until fully melted.

   Time: PT2M

7. Pour the flan onto the tart base

   Pour the gingerbread flan over the shortcrust base, smooth the surface with a spatula.

   Time: PT1H

8. Bake

   Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Bake the tart and cook for 35 minutes, watching the flan's colour.

   Time: PT35M

   Temperature: 170°C

9. Cooling after baking

   Remove the tart from the oven, place it on a rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

   Time: PT15M

10. Prepare the mirabelles

    Wash the mirabelles, stem and halve them.

    Time: PT10M

11. Brush, sugar and arrange the fruit

    Brush the flan surface with liquid honey, dust the edge with icing sugar, then arrange the mirabelles overlapping slightly from the edge toward the centre.

    Time: PT10M

12. Glossy glaze

    Melt the white chocolate in a bain‑marie, glaze over the mirabelles using a brush to add shine and protection.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

500

Protein

6 g

Carbohydrates

70 g

Fat

25 g

Fiber

2 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Ready‑made shortcrust pastry: Shortcrust pastry, Sweet pastry
• Instead of Whole milk: Semi‑skimmed milk
• Instead of Whole liquid cream (30% fat): Heavy cream
• Instead of Gingerbread: Gingerbread crumble, Spiced rusk
• Instead of Unsalted butter: Margarine
• Instead of Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar
• Instead of Cornstarch: Potato starch
• Instead of Fresh mirabelles: Plums, Apricots
• Instead of Liquid honey: Agave syrup
• Instead of White pastry chocolate: Vanilla ice cream

Equipment Needed

• 26 cm tart ring
• Rolling pin
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Mixing bowl
• Silicone spatula
• Kitchen brush
• Cooling rack
• Oven
• Kitchen scale

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Roll the shortcrust pastry to 2‑3 mm thickness
• Cook the flan until the first boil without exceeding
• Bake until the flan is set but still slightly trembling in the centre
• Arrange the mirabelles without crushing them
• Apply the glaze for a glossy finish

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use homemade gingerbread for an even more authentic aroma.
• For extra shine, add a thin layer of diluted apricot jam before the chocolate glaze.
• A hint of orange zest in the flan enhances the gingerbread spices.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the whole tart or slices in an airtight container 2 to 3 days.

Freezer: Wrap each slice in plastic film then in a freezer bag, keep up to 1 month.

Room temperature: Do not leave more than 2 hours at room temperature.

Make-Ahead Tips

• The shortcrust base can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator.
• The gingerbread flan keeps 24 h refrigerated before the final bake.
• Mirabelles can be washed and pitted in advance, then stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.