Rum custard tart with gingerbread pastry

Method

1. To make the gingerbread pastry, melt the butter, brown sugar and honey in a pan over a low heat. Transfer to a jug and leave to cool slightly. Put the flour and spices in a large mixing bowl with a large pinch of salt. Stir the orange zest and juice into the butter mixture, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry until the mixture beings to come together to form a dough. Bring the dough together fully with your hands, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Roll out the firm, chilled dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 30cm circle the thickness of a £1 coin. Lift off the top sheet of baking paper, then flip the dough onto a tart tin. Line the tin carefully, as you would with regular pastry, removing the baking paper and pressing the dough into the edges to create a neat tart case. Patch up any cracks with offcuts. Run a rolling pin over the top of the tin to cut away any overhanging dough, then press the dough up into the flutes so it stands just proud of the tin. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes of the freezer for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5. Once the gingerbread case has firmed up in the fridge, line it with scrunched-up baking paper, fill with baking beans or rice and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking beans/rice and paper, then bake for 5 minutes more until crisp. Turn down the oven to 150ºC/130ºC fan/gas 2, brush all over with the egg white, especially any cracks, and return to the oven for 5 minutes until the egg white has dried to create a seal. Remove from the oven and turn down the oven temperature to 130ºC/110ºC/gas ½.
4. Recipe continues after advertising adslot-recipe-4
5. To make the custard, mix the egg yolks and caster sugar in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon, then gradually pour in all the cream and the rum or brandy, mixing all the time. Strain the mixture into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until it reaches blood temperature (you should be able to dip your finger into it easily), then strain again into a jug. Put the gingerbread case on a tray in the preheated oven, then carefully pour in the custard. Cook for 40-45 minutes until the tart is just set, with a good wobble when gently nudged. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 1 hour until just warm.
6. Hold a stencil over the tart and shake over a little grated nutmeg to decorate the top (fan or blow off any excess). To serve, use a serrated knife and slice with care, as the gingerbread is more crisp than regular pastry.