Tropical Tart Recipes

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry 1 inch from edges, creating a border; with a fork, prick dough all over inside border. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook pineapple, sugar, and lemon juice over medium-high until pineapple begins to break down, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
• Pour through a fine-mesh sieve back into saucepan, discarding solids, and sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand until gelatin softens, 5 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring, then pour into a medium bowl set in a bowl of ice water. Stir until cool and thickened, 4 minutes. (To store, cover and refrigerate, up to 3 days.)
• Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Stir pineapple mixture until smooth; fold in whipped cream until combined. Spread on pastry and top with mango and coconut.

TROPICAL TART

Steps:

• Using an electric whisk, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, coconut extract, if using, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Whisk in the coconut cream.
• Spoon the filling into the pastry case, smooth the top and return to the fridge for at least 2 hrs or overnight. Once set, use the tropical fruit to decorate the top of the tart in your desired geometric pattern.

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, coconut flour, butter, and salt. Mix on low speed until the butter begins to break up, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to just below medium and continue beating until the mixture looks sandy with butter pieces the size of tiny pebbles, about 2 minutes more.
• Turn the mixer off and add the whole egg and egg yolk (reserve the remaining white). Mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.
• Divide the dough in half, press each half into a disk about 4 inches across, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 disk for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. (Freeze the other disk for up to a month; thaw in the refrigerator before using.)
• Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin. Spray a 9-1/2- to 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.
• Working quickly, roll the dough disk into a 1/8-inch-thick round. Transfer the dough to the tart pan and gently coax it into the pan, allowing the excess dough to hang over the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Patch any tears or cracks with the scraps. Refrigerate the crust for at least 20 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.
• Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it to the very top with beans or pie weights. Bake until the edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and paper. Bake until the center of the crust looks dry and is just beginning to color, about 5 minutes.
• Beat the reserved egg white. Brush the inside of the crust with some of the egg white (you won't need it all) and return the crust to the oven until the egg white has dried, about 2 minutes. (This prevents the crust from getting soggy once you add the filling.) Cool completely on a rack.
• Spread the mashed banana evenly over the interior of the cooled crust.
• Combine the milk and 2 Tbs. of the sugar in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. If using a vanilla bean, split it and scrape the seeds into the milk, then add the pod. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod, if using.
• Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the remaining 2 Tbs. sugar with the egg, egg yolk, and cornstarch until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture until combined. Off the heat, whisk the contents of the bowl back into the remaining milk in the saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil; it will thicken. Continue to cook for another minute past the boil, whisking constantly. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, vanilla paste or extract, if using, and the rum. Strain the pastry cream through a medium-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• In a medium bowl, beat the cream to stiff peaks with an electric hand mixer or a whisk.
• Beat the pastry cream to soften and smooth it. With a large spatula, fold the whipped cream into the softened pastry cream until thoroughly combined. Fill the crust with the crème légère, evening it out with the spatula. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before topping with the fruit.
• Arrange the pineapple and mango on top of the filling. Note that because the filling is soft, you'll need to work quickly while the filling is cold and more firm. Because it's hard to move the fruit once it's on the filling, you may want to practice your pattern on an empty sheet pan before placing it on the tart.
• Put the jelly and water or wine in a small saucepan. Simmer and whisk together to form a smooth glaze. Allow to cool slightly. Brush it on the exposed fruit, being careful not to pull up the cream filling from below. Garnish the tart with the coconut shavings. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve. Serve the tart cold, within 6 hours of topping. Garnish with the cilantro leaves just before serving.

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Mix flour, powdered sugar, ground ginger and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 1 yolk and water in small bowl to blend. Add to processor by tablespoonful and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Pour milk into heavy medium saucepan. Add ginger. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 30 minutes. Strain and return to same saucepan. Bring to simmer. Whisk 3 yolks, sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil. Boil 1 minute. Pour pastry cream into clean bowl. Press plastic onto surface and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 14 inch round. Transfer to 11inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Line crust with foil, parchment or coffee filters; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides of crust are set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden, piercing with fork if bubbles form. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely.
• Combine preserves and Cognac in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until preserves melt. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth. Brush half of syrup over bottom of crust. Spread pastry cream evenly over. Arrange fruit over pastry cream. Rewarm preserve mixture. Brush over fruit.

TART TROPICAL PARFAIT

Steps:

• Spoon 1/3 cup yogurt into a 6- to 8-ounce parfait glass or jar. Top yogurt with 1/2 of the kiwi, 1/2 of the macadamia nuts, 1/2 of the agave. Repeat layers with the remaining yogurt, kiwi, nuts, and agave. Top parfait with mint.

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Mix flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk, cream and vanilla in small bowl. Add to flour mixture; process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 4 hours.
• For Filling:
• Pour milk into heavy medium saucepan. Bring just to simmer. Whisk yolks, sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil. Boil 1 minute. Pour pastry cream into medium bowl. Stir in minced ginger. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Dough and pastry cream can be made 1 day ahead. keep chilled separately. Let dough soften slightly before pressing into pan.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of 11x7 1/2-inch rectangular or 11-inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides of crust are set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden, piercing with fork if bubbles form, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. Remove sides from pan.
• Combine preserves and Cognac in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until preserves melt and mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Strain syrup into another small saucepan; discard solids. Brush half of syrup onto bottom of crust. let stand at room temperature until set, about 5 minutes. Spread pastry cream evenly over. Arrange fruit over pastry cream. Rewarm ginger syrup. Brush over fruit. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Garnish tart with mint.

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Unfold crust.
• Using wet fingertips, press together any cracks to seal. Rub crust with flour. Place crust, floured side down, in 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in; press firmly, forming double-thick sides. Pierce bottom of crust with fork. Bake until golden, about 14 minutes. Cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in whipping cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread filling in prepared crust. Refrigerate until filling is firm, about 1 hour.
• Arrange pineapple, kiwis and mango atop tart. Stir preserves in saucepan over low heat until melted. Brush preserves over fruit. Chill tart up to 2 hours.