Classic School Dinner Cornflake Tart with Custard 🥧🌽💛
A timeless treat straight from the school dinner hall! This nostalgic tart pairs a crisp shortcrust base with jam and crunchy golden cornflakes — best served with a generous pour of warm vanilla custard.
Ingredients:
For the pastry base:
🌾 Plain flour: 200g
🧈 Unsalted butter: 100g, chilled and cubed
💧 Cold water: 2–3 tbsp
For the filling:
🍓 Strawberry or raspberry jam: 150g
🌽 Cornflakes: 100g
🧈 Unsalted butter: 50g
🍯 Golden syrup: 100g
🍬 Light brown sugar: 30g
For the custard:
🥛 Whole milk: 500ml
🌾 Custard powder: 2 tbsp
🍬 Caster sugar: 2 tbsp
🌼 Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
Method:
To make the pastry:
🔥 Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
🥣 Rub flour and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually to form a dough.
🧊 Roll out the dough and line a 20cm tart tin. Prick the base and chill for 15 minutes.
🧁 Blind bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. Let it cool slightly.
To make the topping:
🍯 Gently melt butter, golden syrup, and sugar in a pan. Remove from heat and stir through cornflakes until coated.
🍓 Spread the jam evenly over the pastry base, then top with the cornflake mixture, pressing down lightly.
🔥 Pop back in the oven for 5–8 minutes until the top is golden and crisping up.
To make the custard:
🥄 Blend custard powder and sugar with a splash of milk to make a paste.
🥛 Heat the remaining milk until steaming, then pour it over the paste, whisking until smooth. Return to the pan and cook gently until thickened. Stir in the vanilla.
Serving Information:
⏱ Prep Time: 25 minutes
🔥 Baking Time: 25 minutes
🕰 Total Time: 50 minutes
🍴 Servings: 8
⚡ Calories: ~350 per serving (with custard)
Tips:
🍋 A little lemon zest in the custard gives it a fresh lift.
🧊 You can make the tart base and topping ahead — just reheat slightly before serving.
🍨 Leftover tart? Enjoy cold the next day, it's still delicious!
A crunchy, syrupy classic topped with silky custard — school pudding at its finest!