Caramelised Coconut Sugar Tart
Caramelised Coconut Sugar Tart
If you’ve ever wanted to try baking with coconut sugar, then this caramelised coconut sugar tart is the recipe you should try!
Coconut sugar is an un-refined sugar, but actually, doesn’t taste like coconut! It has earthy, caramel notes and gives the tart the perfect balance of sweetness.
The filling is poured inside a thin sweet pastry case and then baked until it has a soft jiggle in the centre.
Coconut sugar behaves slightly differently to brown and white sugar so it tends to crystalise more easily, but by blending the mixture, it becomes ultra smooth.
Ingredients
Method
Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cold & cubed butter, salt and icing/powdered sugar.
Beat for 2-3 minutes until it forms a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
Once smooth, add in the egg yolks and beat again for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beater to ensure the butter is fully incorporated and there are no streaks of unincorporated butter.
Tip in the flour and mix on a low speed until it pulls together into a dough.
Lift the dough out and squeeze it with your hands to form a rough disc. Place the pastry in between two large silicon mats (or parchment paper, but this can be a little slippery!) and roll it into a rough circle around 3-5mm thick. Place it on a tray and into the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Once chilled remove the dough from the freezer and peel off the silicon mats. Let it soften for just a minute at room temperature so that it is flexible.
For this recipe, I've used a 9"x1.37" fluted tart ring (23cmx3.5cm). Place it on a baking tray lined with a baking mat.
Trim the pastry down slightly to a circle that is slightly larger than your tart ring and lift it in. Use your hands to gently press the dough into the edges of the tart ring without tearing it. If it rips, just patch the dough up. Once you have lined the tart ring, fold the excess pastry over itself to create a thicker edge around the top of the tin (almost creating an edge of pastry slightly higher than the tin) then fold it to create an overhang - we will trim this off later but it will prevent the pastry from sinking as it bakes. Use a fork to dock the bottom of the pastry.
Place the tart into the freezer for 20 minutes and pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-Fan Assisted.
Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and salt, and whisk to combine briefly. Set this to one side.
Into a medium saucepan, add the cream. Note we are using Double Cream here which is 48% fat, so if you are using a cream with a lower fat percentage, it will just result in a tart that is a bit lighter in texture, and not quite as creamy.
Place the cream onto a medium heat stirring occasionally.
Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose (or honey) and coconut sugar.
Stir this over a medium heat - unlike white sugar, this won't really turn like a liquid caramel, it will almost melt to a slightly runny, peanut butter-like paste.
Slowly, pour in the hot cream, whisking to combine it with the caramelised sugar.
Once you have added all of the cream, keep whisking to help dissolve the sugar, although you will likely have a few lumps of sugar that haven't quite dissolved.
Use a hand blender to blend the cream while it is still in the pan - this will dissolve the remaining sugar into the cream.
Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine. Blend it one more time.
Pour the mixture through a sieve, into a tall measuring jug. Place a sheet of clingfilm directly on the surface and refrigerate while you finish the pastry.
Once chilled, place it straight into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes. the base should be golden brown but still have a slightly plate crust. Lower the oven temperature to 140C/285F.
Remove it from the oven and then use a small serrated knife to trim the excess pastry, so that it is flush with the top of the tart ring. Be gentle here with your sawing motions as the pastry is still fragile and we don't want to snap a large chunk off!
Once it's been trimmed, let it cool for about 5 minutes then apply the egg wash all over.
Place it into the oven and bake for a further 20-25m until it is a deep golden colour. Yes...20 minutes! It is a low temperature so it will give a nice even golden colour. Make sure it is very golden though...no pale pastry! Remove it from the oven to cool. Note - the pastry case can be frozen once baked and used later. When you need to use, it, simply place it back in a hot oven at 175C/345F for about 7 minutes, then leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes, and proceed with adding the filling.
Lower the oven temperature to 130C/265F Non-Fan Assisted.
Remove the custard filling from the fridge and peel off the cling film, this should remove most of the bubbles. but if not, use a spoon to get rid of any foam/bubbles on top. Give it a gentle stir with a spoon just to ensure it is evenly combined.
Make sure the pastry case is in the oven on a tray - pouring the filling with the tart shell in the oven will make sure you don't spill it.
Place a sieve over the top of the tart shell and pour the filling in, filling the tart shell right to the top.
Use a blow torch and quickly run it across the top of the tart to pop any remaining bubbles.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-55 minutes at 130C/265F Non-Fan Assisted. The tart should have a good wobble when you remove it from the oven (about half the tart should jiggle). Leave it to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before refrigerating, uncovered, for 2 hours. Note - the more you undercook it, the softer the custard will be when you serve it.
Once cooled, use a hot knife to cut clean slices, and finish with a garnish of flakey sea salt.
The tart can be cooled for longer in the fridge, but the longer you leave it, the firmer the custard will set. It is really best served the same day so that the filling is soft and the pastry is fresh.
Ingredients
Directions
Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the cold & cubed butter, salt and icing/powdered sugar.
Beat for 2-3 minutes until it forms a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
Once smooth, add in the egg yolks and beat again for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beater to ensure the butter is fully incorporated and there are no streaks of unincorporated butter.
Tip in the flour and mix on a low speed until it pulls together into a dough.
Lift the dough out and squeeze it with your hands to form a rough disc. Place the pastry in between two large silicon mats (or parchment paper, but this can be a little slippery!) and roll it into a rough circle around 3-5mm thick. Place it on a tray and into the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Once chilled remove the dough from the freezer and peel off the silicon mats. Let it soften for just a minute at room temperature so that it is flexible.
For this recipe, I've used a 9"x1.37" fluted tart ring (23cmx3.5cm). Place it on a baking tray lined with a baking mat.
Trim the pastry down slightly to a circle that is slightly larger than your tart ring and lift it in. Use your hands to gently press the dough into the edges of the tart ring without tearing it. If it rips, just patch the dough up. Once you have lined the tart ring, fold the excess pastry over itself to create a thicker edge around the top of the tin (almost creating an edge of pastry slightly higher than the tin) then fold it to create an overhang - we will trim this off later but it will prevent the pastry from sinking as it bakes. Use a fork to dock the bottom of the pastry.
Place the tart into the freezer for 20 minutes and pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-Fan Assisted.
Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and salt, and whisk to combine briefly. Set this to one side.
Into a medium saucepan, add the cream. Note we are using Double Cream here which is 48% fat, so if you are using a cream with a lower fat percentage, it will just result in a tart that is a bit lighter in texture, and not quite as creamy.
Place the cream onto a medium heat stirring occasionally.
Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose (or honey) and coconut sugar.
Stir this over a medium heat - unlike white sugar, this won't really turn like a liquid caramel, it will almost melt to a slightly runny, peanut butter-like paste.
Slowly, pour in the hot cream, whisking to combine it with the caramelised sugar.
Once you have added all of the cream, keep whisking to help dissolve the sugar, although you will likely have a few lumps of sugar that haven't quite dissolved.
Use a hand blender to blend the cream while it is still in the pan - this will dissolve the remaining sugar into the cream.
Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine. Blend it one more time.
Pour the mixture through a sieve, into a tall measuring jug. Place a sheet of clingfilm directly on the surface and refrigerate while you finish the pastry.
Once chilled, place it straight into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes. the base should be golden brown but still have a slightly plate crust. Lower the oven temperature to 140C/285F.
Remove it from the oven and then use a small serrated knife to trim the excess pastry, so that it is flush with the top of the tart ring. Be gentle here with your sawing motions as the pastry is still fragile and we don't want to snap a large chunk off!
Once it's been trimmed, let it cool for about 5 minutes then apply the egg wash all over.
Place it into the oven and bake for a further 20-25m until it is a deep golden colour. Yes...20 minutes! It is a low temperature so it will give a nice even golden colour. Make sure it is very golden though...no pale pastry! Remove it from the oven to cool. Note - the pastry case can be frozen once baked and used later. When you need to use, it, simply place it back in a hot oven at 175C/345F for about 7 minutes, then leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes, and proceed with adding the filling.
Lower the oven temperature to 130C/265F Non-Fan Assisted.
Remove the custard filling from the fridge and peel off the cling film, this should remove most of the bubbles. but if not, use a spoon to get rid of any foam/bubbles on top. Give it a gentle stir with a spoon just to ensure it is evenly combined.
Make sure the pastry case is in the oven on a tray - pouring the filling with the tart shell in the oven will make sure you don't spill it.
Place a sieve over the top of the tart shell and pour the filling in, filling the tart shell right to the top.
Use a blow torch and quickly run it across the top of the tart to pop any remaining bubbles.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-55 minutes at 130C/265F Non-Fan Assisted. The tart should have a good wobble when you remove it from the oven (about half the tart should jiggle). Leave it to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before refrigerating, uncovered, for 2 hours. Note - the more you undercook it, the softer the custard will be when you serve it.
Once cooled, use a hot knife to cut clean slices, and finish with a garnish of flakey sea salt.
The tart can be cooled for longer in the fridge, but the longer you leave it, the firmer the custard will set. It is really best served the same day so that the filling is soft and the pastry is fresh.