Mango Tart

The recipe for this delicious Filipino mango tart is adapted from a recipe I found in one of the countless Filipino recipe directories on the web. It's a bit involved but worth making. The baked shell is very crispy and flaky and the tart is really really yummy.

Mango Tart
pastry shell, homemade or store bought
pastry cream
sliced ripe mangoes
meringue buttercream

pastry shell
1½ cups pastry or all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
2 tablespoons shortening, cubed and chilled
1 large egg

• Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. With fingertips mix in butter and shortening until crumbly. Add the egg and stir with a fork. Form into a ball/s. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour. Roll out thinly and ease into tart pan/s, trim edges. Bake in a 400°F oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool. Remove from pans and set aside.

pastry cream
6 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs yolks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk, scalded

• In a saucepan, mix the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch with a rubber spatula. Pour the scalded milk and cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Strain into a shallow container and cool for 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  

meringue buttercream
2 egg whites
pinch of fine sea salt
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon rum or mango vodka, optional

• In a small saucepan, boil sugar and 3 tablespoons water to to 230°F. In a standing mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until until stiff but not dry. With mixer on high speed, slowly pour hot syrup and beat until the bowl is cool to the touch. Add butter one piece at a time and continue beating until it holds its shape. Add rum or vodka if using.

Assemble the mango tart: Fill tart shell/s with a ½-inch thick layer of pastry cream. Arrange mango slices on top of cream. Top with meringue buttercream.

Sunflower Tart

Since mangoes that taste and look a little bit like our Philippine variety started appearing in most groceries, including Costco, I make sure I have a box in the house until the season is over. I have made them into chutney and ice box cakes twice, had them with a variety of ice cream flavors and today I made Sunflower Tart, adapted from the cookbook DESSERT UNIVERSITY by Roland Mesnier. His recipe for the tart shell is so buttery rich and unhealthy I only used half a cup instead of 1 whole cup of butter. I also used reduced fat milk and custard powder in place of eggs for the pastry cream. I don't think the not-so-rich pastry and cream made a big difference in the tart's overall appeal and taste, the mangoes after all, is the star ingredient here.

Mango Tart
1 baked sweet tart shell
custard cream
thinly sliced mangoes
chocolate sprinkles
chopped nuts
¼ cup apricot jam mixed with 1 T water

tart shell
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2 cups flour

custard cream

¼ C custard powder
2 C milk
3 T sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

• Tart shell: Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until smooth. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Stir in the egg and water, then add flour until just combined.Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.Roll the chilled dough into a 13-inch round, transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Fold the extra dough into the pan and press firmly on the sides. Bake in a pre-heated 375°F oven until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
• Custard cream: In a small bowl, mix custard powder and sugar, then mix a small amount of milk to make a smooth paste. Heat the rest of the milk until almost boiling. Pour the milk into the custard paste, whisking continuously. Put back into the pan and cook until the mixture boils and thickens. Transfer into a clean container, cover the surface with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• To assemble: Spread the custard cream evenly on the tart shell. Place a 3-inch cookie cutter in the center of the cream. Arrange the mango slices on top of cream resembling sunflower petals. Boil the apricot and water in a saucepan, strain, then brush it lightly and evenly over the mangoes. Scatter the chocolate sprinkles in an even layer inside the biscuit cutter and carefully remove the cutter. Sprinkle chopped nuts on the outer edge of the tart. Remove tart from the ring and transfer to a serving platter.