Tropical Tart with Passionfruit Curd

I just bought a new tart pan. Rectangular. 13.75" x 4/25". It's a beautiful thing. Just think of all the delicious goodness which can be made with this humble aluminum product. Makes me shiver to think of all them. 

So I might have a little problem with lusting after baking tools... it could be worse, like fantasizing about diamonds or cars. 

Plus, with new baking equipment we get to make something delicious!

Like this:

Imagine fresh, ripe mango and papaya resting on creamy passionfruit curd in a sweet, crispy tart shell. 

Oh yeah, now you're drooling. Let's do this.

To make the tart shell, cream butter, confectioner's sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer until fluffy.

Add flour and salt and mix until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick and transfer to tart pan. Freeze for 30 minutes. 

Line with aluminum foil and pie weights and bake. Remove the weights and bake a little longer until it is lovely golden brown. Cool.

During the down time, make the passionfruit curd.

In the bowl of a bain-marie (translation = a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water), mix egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, vanilla and passion fruit juice until thickened. 

Remove from heat and cool. When warm to touch, whisk in butter.

After the tart has cooled, fill with passionfruit curd and bake at 325F until custard is set. Top with tropical fruit of your choice. I went for papaya, mango and fresh strawberries.

Enjoy!

Sweet Tart Shell

By Kate Zuckerman in The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle
Published 2006

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
• Zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 cups plus 1 tablespoons of flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter on high for 1 minute. Add confectioner's sugar and lemon zest and continue to beat for 6-8 minutes, or until mixure is light and fluffy.
2. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until they are fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add flour and salt to butter mixture and mix slowly until combined, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. On a dry surface, roll the dough 1/8 thick in the shape of your tart pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and freeze shell for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the tart from the freezer and line with aluminum foil. Add pie weights and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and weights and bake another 10 minutes until golden brown.

Passionfruit Curd

By Kate Zuckerman in The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle
Published 2006

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup passionfruit juice
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a bain-marie, combine egg yolks, whole egg, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk briskly until the mixture has thickened, doubled in volume, and holds the lines of a whisk, 5-10 minutes.
2. Remove curd from heat and strain into a bowl to remove any lumps.
3. Cool until warm to touch and whisk in butter.
4. Preheat oven to 325F. Pour curd into pre-baked tart shell. Bake for 10-15 minutes until custard is set.
5. Top with tropical fruits of your choice like mango, papaya and strawberries.