plant based pastry cream-filled tart
5 T. Therm Flo Canning Thickener or Cornstarch
5 T sugar
1/3 cup agave
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup soy milk or any plant milk
1 to about 1 1/2 cups of soaked (in hot water for 2 hours) cashews
1 juiced lemon plus the grated zest
1 T. Vanilla or a vanilla bean if your budget allows
Instructions
In your blender add sugar, agave, coconut milk, cashews (with the left over water from the soak), dash of salt, lemon juice, and the vanilla. Using the ice cream mode or whichever you prefer blend until creamy. In a sauce pan over medium low heat add the cream sauce, soy milk, lemon zest, and thermo flo. Whisk over the heat about 5-10 min or more until thickened. Remove from heat and sift through a fine strainer. The lemon zest and any lumps will be sorted out of your pastry cream. Chill and use in your favorite fruit tart.
Tart Dough
1 1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup earth balance vegan butter
1/4 cup sugar
1-3 Tablespoons of iced water
Instructions
In my Cuisinart add your sugar and blend it for 1-2 min. Then add the flour and butter and pulse until small crumbs form. To pull the dough together add the iced water one Tablespoon at a time just until the dough holds together when you pinch it. Make a dough ball and chill for 30 min to an hour. Then roll the dough out and use in your tart!
If you are making a fruit tart which I highly recommend roll the dough out and line your tart pan. Fork the dough to eliminate air pockets when cooking. Place parchment paper in the tart and 1 1/2 cup of beans to put weight on the crust and keep it from rising. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35 min, sometimes I’ll go 5 min shorter or longer based on my own attentiveness. Take it out and let it cool.
Apricot Tart
Slice 12-14 Apricots in half (more if smaller and less if larger)
Line the tart crust with a thin layer of apricot jam and then fill the remaining room in the tart with pastry cream. Add the halved apricots and then sprinkle with sugar. I have a kitchen torch that I carmelize the sugared apricots (think creme bruleé) this just adds a smoky flavor to the top of the tart. Chill and serve.
Mango Lemon Tart
This was so much fun to make because I got a chance to work on my cutting skills.
Fill the tart crust with pastry cream.
Using a peeler remove the skins from 1-2 mangos depending on size. Slice the fat side off the pit on each side of the mango. Then lay them face down like a 2 turtle shells flush next one another. Slice very thin sections working through the entire 2 sections of mango. Angle and curl the sections into a rose (watch a YouTube video for further clarity). Transfer the shaped rose onto the top of the tart. Thinly slice the lemons (Meyer lemons would be nice) and fill the outer rim of the tart. Chill and serve.
