Double boiler
Double boilers are gentle heat for melting and
warming ingredients prone to overcooking – like
eggs.

The most important goal is to not let the
bowl base make contact with the water in the
saucepan.

The second goal is to monitor the
simmer strength – I rarely go over a bare simmer,
and ensure my heat is controlled and flames
don’t lick around the outside of the saucepan
and scorch the mix in the bowl. If this happens,
transfer the mix out, clean the burnt side and
return the mix to continue.

Pie-ces of advice
Plan it
Pre-plan for optimal flans! Dough-based bakes are
better/less stressful when planned ahead. Make the
dough and sometimes the filling a day beforehand.

If it’s a rolled tart crust, roll and freeze one day,
blind bake the next, and fi ll on the third day.

Dam(n) it!
If you remove a slice of cooked tart or pie and
the filling threatens to collapse inwards, make a
sturdy wall of folded-over foil and press against
the cut sides. It won’t save the tart completely,
but it will protect it from total slumps-ville.

Burn it
For the brûlée version of the Lemon cream tart
(page 97) or Vanilla malted milk custard tart
(page 122), the toffee crust needs a sturdy
platform, so make sure you completely chill the
tart before firing up.

I cut my slices before toffee-ing, as an all-over crisp
sugar crust can be tricky to cut into nice slices.

If you like the sugar-cracked mess, torch it baby!

Shake a layer of caster (superfine) sugar over
the filling (not the crust). Don’t sugar too far in
advance, or the sugar will melt before it can be
caramelised.

And ensure your sugar coating covers
the slice evenly, quite thickly and right to the edges
of the cut sides so you don’t end up with a black,
burnt line at the edges.

To prevent the crust getting scorched, fold a small
strip of curved foil and place over the exposed
crust.

Dance the torch on and off the sugar – the
sugar can continue to cook after the torch has
come away. Fan out any small flames.

Brûlée a section at a time, then remove the flame
while the toffee is hot and melty and torch the
next section.

The hot water
is touching the
bowl base, so
the mix will get
too hot.

The pot is too
small, so flames
can burn the
edges of the
bowl.

Goldilocks! Just
right to melt and
heat gently and
perfectly.