Coconut cream tart

I love coconut. Coconut ice cream. Coconut candy. Toasted coconut. Let’s face it: I won’t discriminate against any form of coconut. So when I found this recipe on A Pretty Life in the Suburbs blog, I had to try it.

Although I love everything in miniature, I decided to make one large tart, rather than several small ones. But if you want to make individual small tarts, I’ve included directions below for either option.

COCONUT CREAM TART
Servings: Makes 6 mini tarts or 1 10-inch tart

Ingredients:

Shortbread crust:
1 ¼  cup flour
⅓ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter, cut into smaller pieces
1 egg yolk
6 small 3-inch tart pans or 1 large tart pan

Coconut filling:
2 cups whole milk
¼ cup cream of coconut
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
½ vanilla bean, split
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pinch of salt
Whipped cream and toasted coconut, for garnish

Directions for the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt for about 10 seconds in a food processor.
3. Add the pieces of butter and blend together until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
4. Add the egg yolk and mix again until the egg is completely combined.
5 (a). If you are making smaller tarts, divide the mixture into your six 3-inch tart pans. Press the dough into the molds, making the sides a little higher than the center of the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Prick each tart pan with a fork several times, as the dough tends to puff up. The dough turns from done to overcooked very fast, so make sure you keep an eye on it.
5 (b). If you are making one large tart, press the mixture into a 10-inch tart pan, making the sides a little higher than the center of the pan. Bake for about 15-18 minutes. Prick the tart with a fork several times while baking, and watch it carefully.

Directions for coconut filling:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream of coconut, coconut, and the vanilla bean to a simmer.
2. Remove the mixture from the heat, and let it sit for one hour.
3. In your food processor or blender, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
4. After the milk mixture has sat for one hour, reheat it until it is hot again.
5. Then slowly pour it into the blender or food processor as it is going at medium speed. If you have a smaller blender or food processor, you will need to do this in batches or the liquid will overflow in the insert.
6. Once the cream is mixed thoroughly, transfer it to a saucepan and cook it over medium heat, whisking constantly, until boiling.
7. If you want to remove the shredded coconut, you can strain the cream through a sieve (I love the extra texture in the cream, so I leave it in).
8. Let the coconut cream cool completely before adding it to your tarts, making sure to stir the cream well before using.
9. Fill the middle of the small tarts with a scoop of the cream. If you are making one large tart, fill the entire tart with all of the cream.
10. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

A little something extra:
If you’d like to add a little pizzaz to your tart(s), toast about 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut in the oven and sprinkle over the top of your tarts (with or without the whipped cream).