Lemon Curd Fruit Tart - A blend of tartness and sweetness!

Have been resting quite a bit since the last Father’s Day project. Doing a lot of readings on recipes and methods to prepare for my next big project ~ my baby’s first birthday!

Yesterday, Hubby said wanted to go visit his uncles & auntie, so that finally got my engine working! I thought of doing something simple and low failure rate for them. A fruit tart immediately came into my mind.

My usual fruit tart has a layer of crème d'amande which uses almond powder and top with custard and whip cream. As my cousin has an allergic reaction to nuts, I have to forgo the crème d’amande layer. I am thinking of having something more refreshing for after dinner dessert, as I know dinner is always heavy with these relatives. I looked through my fridge and saw those lovely lemons and decided to do a lemon curd fruit tart.

:: A Colorful Lemon Curd Fruity Tart ::

This tart is baked in 6 inch removable base tart tin in my Morris tabletop oven.

Tart Shell Ingredients:
Recipe adapted from My Mind Patch

45g salted butter, softened & cut into small pieces

20g icing sugar

1 egg yolk (I used small yolk, approx 18g)

90g all-purpose flour

How to do:

1. Cream the soften butter till it is smooth and pale yellow. I used hand whisk.

2. Add icing sugar and continue to cream till light and fluffy.

3. Add in the egg yolk and continue to mix till well combined.

4. Sift in the flour in 2 steps and using a spatula, mix well for each addition till the mixture becomes a soft dough.

5. Shape the dough into a ball and placed on a piece of cling wrap that is big enough to cover a round out dough of 6 inch round.

6. Put another cling wrap on top of the dough, flatten it and started to roll out evenly into a round, big enough to cover your tart tin base with some allowance for the tin height

7. Place the dough sheet in the fridge to chill for about 10 min.

8. Take out the dough sheet (should feel a bit stiff) and place it over the tart tin.

9. Press the dough sheet against the tin. If the dough sheet breaks, just fill up the holes by pressing the dough together.

10. Use a roller to roll on the top of the tart tin and the dough will be flatted to the tin height. Continue with step 9 and 10 till you are satisfied with the evenness of the tart shell.

11. Use a fork to make holes at the base of the tart.

:: makes holes on the base of tart shell before baking ::

12. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degree (shown on my oven thermometer) for 10 min.

13. Bring out from the oven and egg wash* the tart shell and return to oven for another 8 – 10min or till the tart shell turns light brown and the sides shrink slightly away from the tin.

14. Remove from oven, unmold once the moulds are slightly cooled down enough for hands to handle. Continue to let it cool on a metal rack.

*I use a bit of egg yolk (from the lemon curd ingredients) + 1 teaspoon of water and 1 drop of oil.

**Can use both non-stick or aluminum tart tin but DO NOT grease the tart tin.

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

Recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover

75ml lemon juices (approx 3 small lemons)

75g caster sugar or to taste

15g unsalted butter

Lemon zest from 2 small lemons

2 small egg yolks (I remove a bit for egg washing the tart, approx 1/4 tsp)

1 & 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp water

How to do:

1. Melt the sugar and butter in the lemon juice together with the zest over heat. Remove the saucepan once it starts to bubble.

2. Mix the cornstarch and water till they are well-combined, and add in the egg yolks and mix well.

3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the lemon juice mixture in the saucepan.

4. Return the saucepan to stove and use a hand whisk and continue to stir over low heat.

5. After a few minutes, you will start to feel the mixture starts to thicken.

6. Remove the pan from heat and continue to stir. Due to the residual heat, it will continue to thicken.

7. If the curd doesn’t thicken to the right consistency, return to low heat for a a few second and continue to stir. Do not allow the curd to boil.

8. The curd’s consistency should be something like japanese mayonnaise, soft but should be able to hold its shape.

9. Pour the curd through a fine mesh sieve to attain a smoother consistency.

Assembling the Tart:

1. Scoop the lemon curd into the tart shell. The curd should not feel hot at this point.

2. Place the tart in a covered container in the fridge for about 15 min.

3. Meanwhile prepare your favorite fruits for topping the tart. Wash & pat dry.

4. Bring out the tart after 15 min, the curd should feel a bit stiffer.

5. Arrange your favorite fruits onto according to your preference.

6. Glaze the fruits to achieve the shiny look.

7. Return to fridge till ready to serve.

*To glaze the fruits, can use apricot jam or piping jelly etc. I used 2 & 1/2 tbsp of can peach syrup + 1 tsp of gelatin powder. Simply dissolve the gelatin powder in the peach syrup over water bath.

:: Love the Symmetrical Arrangement! ::

What I love about fruit tarts is that it is such a refreshing dessert after a full dinner. The lemon curd has the tartness that helps to refresh your palate. On top of that, who doesn’t love a beautiful and colorful fruit tart?

:: The Mini Version ~ Great as Dessert Canapes ::

Apple Crumble Rose Tarts ~ Rose Rose I love you!

After the pretty pretty mango rose, I am addicted to create beautiful rose using fruits. This time round I am creating apple rose to go with one of my favourite dessert ~ apple crumble.

:: My version of apple crumble ~ with apple rose ::

Apple Fillings Ingredients:
(fills 8 tarts shells)

2 red apples

1 green apple 

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 and 1/2 tsp white sugar

2 cup and 2 tbsp water

How to do:

1. Dice the apples and set aside a portion of the diced red apple (approx. 1/2 apple)

2. In my Toshiba rice cooker, add 2 cups of water, lemon juice, and the diced red & green apple and hit the 'cook' button as if cooking rice.

3. By the end of the 'cook' cycle, the apples will be mushy like applesauce.

4. Transfer the applesauce into a saucepan, add the remaining portion of diced red apple and 2 tbsp water.

5. Using medium low heat, further cook the apples till the water has been reduced and the diced red apple slightly soft. Add more water if required to soften the diced apple, be careful not to burn the applesauce.

6. Set aside for later use.

:: Apple sauce with soften diced apple ::

* I used rice cooker to make the apple sauce because I was lazy to watch fire on stove. Rice cooker is very efficient in turning apple into applesauce without burning it.

** I use green apple because I prefer some sourness in my apple crumble

*** Amount of sugar is subjective, depending on individual taste-buds and whether the apples are sweet. Taste and adjust the sweetness accordingly.

 Apple Rose Ingredients:
(makes 8 roses)

2 red apples (*Use the very red apples for a nicer color hue.)

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp light brown sugar

1 and 1/2 cup water

How to do:

Check out this video that I had created on how to make the apple rose:

Crumbles Ingredients:

25g salted cold butter, cut into small pieces
45g all-purpose flour

How to do:

1. Press the cold butter into the flour using fingertips till resemble breadcrumbs

*Most recipe I found require 1:1 ratio for butter and flour but I could not get breadcrumbs texture using that ratio so I added more flour.

:: Crumbles should resemble breadcrumbs ::

For the tart shells, I am re-using the recipe for my mango pudding tarts as it is foolproof for me!

Instead of fully bake them, I half baked them before adding the apple fillings & crumbles.

Tart Shell Ingredients:

(makes 8 tart shells)

60g salted butter, softened & cut into small pieces
30g icing sugar
1 large egg yolk 
120g all purpose flour

How to do:

1. Cream the soften butter till it is smooth and pale yellow. I used hand whisk.

2. Add icing sugar and continue to cream till light and fluffy.

3. Add in the egg yolk nd continue to mix till well combined.

4. Sift in the flour in 3 installments, using a spatula, mix well for each addition till the mixture becomes a soft dough.

5. Shape the dough into a cylinder shape, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for about 15 - 20min.

6. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the dough into 8 equal portion.

7. Shape them into a ball and placed in the tart mould.

8. Press the dough ball in the center against the mould and push it up against the wall till its full height. After baking, the crust will expand slight above the mould and it is easier to remove from the mould.

9. Use a fork to poke holes at the base of the tart shells. This is to prevent the base from rising during baking.

10. Place them in a preheated oven and bake at 150 degree (on my Morris oven dial, real temperature should be about 170 degree) for 5 min.

11. Take out from the oven and set aside.

*DO NOT grease the tart mould, the tart shell can be easily removed with a gentle knock. Greasing the tart mould will cause it to stick to the mould instead.

:: Tart Mould ~ Size 3.5cm base 7cm top::

To assemble:

1. Egg wash the tart shells.

2. Scoop a bit of the apple fillings into the tart shells.

3. Place the apple rose into the center of the tart shell top of the applesauce.

4. Fill the side with more apple fillings.

5. Carefully sprinkle the crumbles onto the apple fillings area.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 150 degree (on my Morris oven dial, real temperature should be about 170 degree) for another 15-20 min or till the tart shell & crumbles are browned.

:: Just can't get enough of my pretty tarts ::

Mango Pudding Rose Tarts ~ So Pretty that I Almost Can't Bear to Eat Them!

It's been a while since I blog about my bakes. Finally found the motivation to blog about my latest bake because it turned out to be so pretty and so yummy! 

It is the mangoes season now and many bakers are posting yummy mango related cakes and desserts photos online. I am so tempted to try out some mango-y desserts.

Since my previous longan beancurd tarts were so well-received, so I thought why not make mango pudding tarts. And I wanted to make them look so pretty, so I used the mango strips to make into mango rose. I am very pleased with the result - both look and taste!

:: Mango Pudding Rose Tarts::

For the Tart Shell

The tart shell recipe is similar as my egg tart post here, but I made a small change to it. Instead of using a portion of a whole beaten egg, I use only egg yolk. The reason is that I can't think of how to use the remaining beaten egg yoke and I doubt it can be kept in the fridge for use another day. By using just the egg yolk, I can save the white by freezing it and use it for macarons or chiffon cakes recipes that require more egg white. The result of using just the egg yolk is that the tart shells seem to be a bit softer than when I use whole egg. I also use salted butter instead of unsalted simply because I ran out of the unsalted ones... haha...

Tart shells are baked in my Morris tabletop oven.

Tart Shell Ingredients:

45g salted butter, softened & cut into small pieces
20g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
90g all purpose flour

How to do:

1. Cream the soften butter till it is smooth and pale yellow. I used hand whisk.

2. Add icing sugar and continue to cream till light and fluffy.

3. Add in the egg yolk nd continue to mix till well combined.

4. Sift in the flour in 3 installments using a spatula, mix well for each addition till the mixture becomes a soft dough.

5. Shape the dough into a cylinder shape, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for about 15 - 20min.

6. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the dough into 6 equal portion.

7. Shape them into a ball and placed in the tart mould.

8. Press the dough ball in the center against the mould and push it up against the wall till its full height. After baking, the crust will expand slight above the mould and it is easier to remove from the mould.

9. Use a fork to poke holes at the base of the tart shells. This is to prevent the base from rising during baking.

10. Place them in a preheated oven and bake at 150 degree (on my Morris oven dial, real temperature should be about 170 degree) for 7min.

11. Take out from the oven and egg wash* the tarts. The holes of the base will close up considerably after egg wash.

12. Put back into the oven and bake for another 5min or when the tart shells turn slightly brown.
13. Remove from oven, unmould once the moulds are slightly cooled down enough for hands to handle. Continue to let them cool on a metal rack.

*Can use some of the egg white for egg wash or for me, I used the evaporated milk

**DO NOT grease the tart mould, the tart shell can be easily removed with a gentle knock. Greasing the tart mould will cause it to stick to the mould instead.

:: Tart Mould ~ Size 3.5cm base 7cm top::

For the Mango Pudding 

This bake is quite an impromptu creation. As I was looking at various pudding recipes, most require condense milk and or coconut milk. I had non of those in my fridge so I was very happy when I finally found one recipe that require only evaporated milk which I had at home. My pudding recipe is modified from http://allthatmatters2rei.blogspot.sg/2008/05/mango-pudding.html  As my family and I like our dessert less sweet, I reduce the sugar considerably. 

Mango Pudding Ingredients:

2 mangoes
1/3 cup evaporated milk

2/3 cup water

1/8 cup sugar

1 tbsp gelatin powder

How to do:

1. Peel off the skin of the mangos.

2. Continue to use the peeler to peel the mango flesh into long stripes. 

3. Use the stripes of mango and arrange them to look like a rose in the tart shell.

4. After that, blend the rest of the mango stripes until they are smooth, yielded slightly more than 1 cup of mango puree.

5. Bring the water to boil in a saucepan, pour in gelatin powder and stir till fully dissolve.

6. Add in the sugar and continue to stir till dissolve.

7. Lower the heat and add in the evaporated milk and mango puree.

8. Stir till it starts to simmer, then remove from heat.

9. Pour the mango pudding mixture through a sift. This is to remove any lumps and give it a smoother texture.

10. Gently pour the pudding mixture into the tart shell, avoiding pouring directly onto the mango rose. As the mixture is quite thick, pour via different side of the tart shell so that the mixture is evenly distributed.

11. Put into the fridge and chill for a few hours.

They are ready to serve once the pudding is set.

*For the mango rose, you can check out how to do here. I prefer to do the rose first before pouring in the pudding mixture as I feel that it is less messy. It is my first time handling the mango stripes to make a rose so I don't want to risk it. However, this will also mean that the center part of the rose might not have the pudding as the mixture is quite thick and does not flow easily. I did pour a little bit of the pudding mixture into the center of the rose, but must be very careful else, might ruin the shape of the rose.

For the amount of ingredients above, I manage to do fillings for 6 tarts and 6 puddings in 3inch size ramekins.

:: Mango Pudding with Strawberries ::

Merry Christmas!! Fruit Cake in the House!

I have to admit...
I was never a big fan of fruit cake...

Most probably because my first encounter with fruit cake was not very pleasant. I vaguely remembered eating some fruit cake that my mom bought from neighborhood bakery. The fruit bits tasted so artificial and almost plastic-y. I have never touched a fruit cake since then..

Now that I started baking and chanced upon a  recipe that look easy enough, I thought it will be a good chance to change my perception of fruit cakes since I can control what to put into the fruit cake.

Recipe adapted from   Everybody Eats Well in Flanders

This cake is baked using my Toshiba Rice Cooker.

Ingredients:

Group A:
180g light brown sugar
240ml water
55g butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves  (I used 1/2 tsp ground spice because I can't find ground cloves)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
300g raisins  (I used mixed of Silver Bird Sultanas & Sunmaid Raisins)

Group B:
2 eggs, lighted beaten  (my eggs are approx. 50g each w/o shell)
195g multi-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
50g dried cranberries
50g dried apricots  (cut to approx size of cranberries/raisins)
50g candied orange peels* (cut to approx size of cranberries/raisins)

*Click here on instructions on how to make candied orange peels.



How to do:

1. Pour all the ingredients under Group A except for raisins into a saucepan.
2. Use medium heat to stir till butter melted and everything well mixed.
3. Add in the raisins and bring to a boil.
4. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 5min.
5. After that, off the heat and set aside until it is lukewarm.

*******

6. Pour the Group A mixture into a mixing bowl.
7. Add in the ingredients in Group B and mixed well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
8. Grease the rice cooker inner pot with vegetable oil or butter and pour the mixture in.
9. This cake cooks in my Toshiba rice cooker for about 1.5 hours.
10. Once it's done, turn it out from the rice cooker and let it cool.

For storage, I wrapped in cling wrap, followed by aluminum foil and stored in the fridge.

:: Fruit Cake using Rice Cooker ::

I thought the fruit cake turned out beautifully. I had to wait for 1 day before cutting open it as the taste was supposed to be more settled after 1 day.

:: Beautiful Fruit Cake Slices ::

The fruit cake looked so beautiful, esp with the bits of orange colored peels and apricots. And the best part is, it tasted very moist and yummy! I am absolutely in love with fruit cakes now! I love it so much that I baked a few other batches to give to my friends.

:: Fruit Cakes using Oven ::

The above batch are done in petite loaf baking cups using oven. The recipe works well too! 

These petite loaf baking cups are 8cm by 4cm, 4.5cm height. I only have them filled to 1/3 and baked in the preheated oven at 180 degree for 15 min.