Coconut Tart with Spicy Gingersnap Crust
 
 
The combination of spicy ginger and creamy coconut would lend itself well to other fruits if strawberries are out of season. I plan to try this tart with mango or stone fruit. It would also be good with sliced banana in a pinch.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients
  • 12 oz Mi-Del Gingersnap cookies coarsely broken
  • ½ C unsalted butter, melted
  • 32 oz coconut milk
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 10 oz sugar
  • 3 oz cornstarch
  • ¼ t kosher salt
  • 4 T room temperature butter
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 1 qt fresh strawberries sliced
  • candied ginger, thinly sliced - optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind cookies to a fine crumb
  3. Add melted butter to cookie crumbs and process until moist
  4. Press crumb mixture evenly up the sides and over the bottom of a fluted 10 - 12" tart pan with a removable bottom
  5. Bake the tart crust on the middle rack of the oven for 16 minutes. The crust will harden as it cools.
  6. Meanwhile to make the pastry cream, bring the coconut milk to a slow simmer in a medium saucepan
  7. Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, cornstarch ans salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well to break up any lumps of sugar or constarch
  8. Slowly pour a little of the hot coconut milk into the egg mixture while whisking rapidly to temper the eggs. Continue to whisk while pouring the rest of the coconut milk into the eggs. When the two are thoroughly combined, return the mixture to the saucepan
  9. Whisk vigorously over medium low heat until the pastry cream starts to thicken.
  10. Continue cooking and whisking for one minute more to fully cook and activate the starches
  11. Strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer suspended over a heatproof bowl. Any scrambled bits of egg will be left in the strainer.
  12. Add the room temperature butter and vanilla to the pastry cream now and stir to combine
  13. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the pastry cream and cool completely.
  14. Once the pastry cream has cooled and before filling the tart, whisk the pastry cream well to bring it back to it's smooth consistency.
  15. Gently release the tart from it's outer ring. Slide a thin spatula between the crust and the bottom of the tart pan to release the tart
  16. Gently place the tart shell on your serving platter of choice. Any cracks can be hidden by the pastry cream and artfully arranged fruit
  17. Gently spoon and smooth the pastry cream into the tart shell
  18. The tart can now be covered and refridgerated for up to one day
  19. Garnish with the strawberries and thinly sliced candied ginger before serving
Notes
It is very important to cook the starchiness out of the pastry cream without overcooking and scrambling the eggs. Patience and a strong whisking arm are key. Do not try to speed this process by increasing the heat.
Coconut pastry cream never looks as white or creamy yellow as regular pastry cream and can even look slightly gray in the pan. I am alarmed every time I make it. Do not fear. Once the tart is assembled the pastry cream will look creamy-white and delicious.
For the freshest appearance top the tart with the berries just before serving. The sliced berries and ginger can weep into the top of the tart if assembled too soon.
Recipe by Tart of Gold at https://atartofgold.com/coconut-tart-with-spicy-gingersnap-crust/