Traditional Coconut Tart Food

COCONUT TARTS

Steps:

• Make the pastry. In a mixing bowl, add the melted buter and powdered sugar and mix until combined. Then add the milk and 6 tablespoons of the beaten egg. Combine. In 2 batches, add the flour. The mixture will start to get thick so use 2 round bladed knifes and cut through until the mixture resembles lumps as in the photo. Then use your hand and gather the pastry together until it becomes one big lump! Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge whilst you make the filling below.
• Make the filling: In a saucepan on low heat, heat the butter, milk, powdered sugar and salt. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture starts to simmer. Switch off the heat and add the coconut. Stir well and set aside until cool or around 20 - 30 minutes.
• Once the coconut filling has cooled, add the 4 beaten eggs PLUS the remainder left from the pastry. Mix well to combine then add the cream, custard / vanilla pudding powder, vanilla extract and baking powder. Combine well then cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes so it can firm up a little.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Make the tarts. Take the pastry from the fridge and knead it slightly so it is pliable. Then roll out as thin as possible. I divided my pastry in to 2 batches so it was manageable on the work top. Take a pastry cutter suitable for the size pan you are using and cut discs to fit. For this recipe, I used 2 regular cupcake pans as you see in the photo. This yielded 24 tarts. Butter the cupcake pan very well so the pastry does not stick when baking.
• Place the tart discs in to the cupcake pan and gently push down then take a fork and prick holes in the bottom of each pastry disc.
• Take the filling from the fridge and give it a stir, then fill each cup with the mixture until nearly full.
• Place in the oven for 15 minutes then switch off the oven and leave the door closed for 10 minutes. The tarts will continue to brown a little after the oven is off. Then transfer on to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cold with a nice cup of tea!

DELICIOUS COCONUT TARTS, CHINESE BAKERY-STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Position an oven rack in the lower third (just below centre) of the oven.
• In a mixing bowl, stir flour, icing sugar and salt together to mix well.
• Add chilled butter cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles a sandy mixture or like breadcrumbs.
• Add egg yolks, and cut into the flour-butter mixture with a dough scraper until the dough starts to come together. Finish up kneading by hand until the dough is smooth and even coloured. DO NOT OVER-KNEAD or else the pastry will be tough.
• Set it in the chiller while you make the filling.
• In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk, coconut milk and yellow food colouring (optional). Whisk by hand until sugar dissolves.
• Add in melted butter and whisk to combine well. Tip in grated coconut and stir to combine well. (If using desiccated coconut, please read notes below.)
• BLIND-BAKE THE TART SHELLS
• Line the tart moulds with pastry dough, pressing gently into the moulds. The thickness should ideally be between 3 - 4 mm.
• Line the tart shells with a cut square of baking paper. Fill with baking beans or rice. OR instead of using weights, lightly prick the base with a fork. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tart shells are a light golden brown.
• Remove the baking beans and baking paper.
• Spoon the coconut filling into each tart shell. Do not spoon too much liquid, leaving about a 2-mm border around the tart edge clear of filling. Note: If desired, strain the coconut filling before filling. Do not press any juices out from the flesh when you do this, as it should be soaked as heavily as possible. Then, fill tart shells with the flesh. Finally, spoon just enough of the liquid custard to fill up to almost the edge of the tart. Don't overdo it, otherwise the custard will bubble over the edges of the shells during baking.
• To create a slightly dome-shaped filling, pile some strained coconut flesh in the centre (please read Notes below).
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until coconut tops brown evenly. Bake for a few minutes longer if you like the crusted tops.
• Remove from oven and let the tarts cool in their moulds for 15 minutes. Gently remove from tart moulds and cool on a baking rack.

COCONUT TARTS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl of food processor. Add the butter and shortening, and pulse until crumbs the size of peas form. Slowly add 1 cup cold water until the dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• In the meantime, combine the coconut, sugar, mixed essence, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan, and simmer the mixture until the sugar melts and liquid thickens to the consistency of maple syrup, about 30 minutes. Cool.
• To make the tarts: Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Dust the chilled dough with flour and divide into 15 balls. Flatten the balls and then roll out to 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Place 1 tablespoon of filling on the center of a disk. Lightly brush the edges of the disk with water and fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon. Crimp the edges closed, using a fork. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
• Beat the egg yolk and milk together, and brush over the tarts. Prick each tart once or twice so that steam can escape. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown. Cool and serve.

COCONUT TART (KLAPPERTERT)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a small saucepan simmer the coconut, sugar, water, butter, and salt for 15 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Blend the butter into the flour and salt mixture with a fork until it becomes crumbly.
• Stir in the lightly beaten egg yolk and iced water and mix until the dough forms a ball. Add iced water a tablespoon at a time if mixture is too crumbly.
• Press the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Spread the apricot jam over the base of the pie crust.
• When the coconut mix has cooked for 15 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lightly beaten eggs yolks, vanilla, and almond extracts. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the coconut mix.
• Spoon the filling into the pie crust and bake for 40 minutes, or until the coconut filling has set and is turning golden brown. Serve hot.

CARIBBEAN COCONUT TART

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry as directed: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and grated orange peel.
• With a pastry blender, cut in butter until fine particles form.
• Add 1 lightly beaten egg and stir with a fork until well blended; work with your hands until dough holds together in a ball. Divide into thirds.
• Set aside 1/3 of the pastry for lattice strips.
• On a lightly floured waxed paper, roll out the other 2/3 to a 12-inch circle. Use the paper to lift and gently turn pastry into a 10 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom (or 10-inch pie pan).
• Shape to bottom and sides of pan; trim excess from top edge of tart pan (or away from rim of pie pan).
• Bake in a 325*F oven for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, divide remaining pastry into 10 pieces; on a lightly floured board roll each into a 10 to 12 inch rope. Cover and refrigerate while mixing filling.
• Filling: In a bowl lightly beat the eggs, then stir in sugar, salt and flour. Add coconut, orange juice and melted butter; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.
• Criss-cross ropes of dough on top of filling. Trim and press ends to edges of pastry. Return to a 325* oven and bake until crust is golden brown and center is set, about 40 minutes.
• Warm the jelly or jam until melted and carefully brush it over top of hot tart. Cool completely, as long as 24 hours, then remove sides of pan and cut tart in wedges.

COCONUT TART

Steps:

• Make tart:
• Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until edge is pale golden and side is set, 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until deep golden all over, 10 to 18 minutes more.
• Whisk together milk, eggs, yolk, confectioners sugar, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then stir in coconut.
• Pour filling into hot tart shell and spread evenly with a fork. Bake until top is golden, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then remove side of pan and cool tart to room temperature, about 2 hours.

COCONUT TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place frozen mini tart shells on a baking sheet.
• Beat the butter, sugar, egg, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Stir in the coconut. Place 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each mini tart shell, and fill the shells with about 1 tablespoon of the coconut mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the shells and topping are lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.