Tarts Archives - Sweet Tooth Experiments

Torta Di Ricotta

Posted on April 29, 2017 Posted in Italy, Tarts .

Torta Di Ricotta

I must say I do get drawn to traditional Italian desserts; they really do produce the most magnificent desserts on the world (and clearly don’t underdeliver of the savory side ether)!

One dish that I have had my eye on for ages is a traditional Sicilian Cheesecake that is commonly made for Easter celebrations. This sweet treat being the Torta Di Ricotta.

Now there are a few variations of this, as there are for most traditional desserts pending the part of Italy you are in. The version I have chosen to explore in a fig, hazelnut and of course the traditional Italian dessert wine Marsala (my favorite wine).

Not only is this tart easy to make its not too unhealthy as it’s low-ish in sugar and uses low fat protein building ricotta.

Ingredients:

Pastry

230g plain flour
70g sugar
160g butter
1 egg

Filling

135g dried fig
80ml marsala
750g ricotta
110g sugar
2 tbsn honey
1 egg
100g roasted hazelnuts
1 orange

Method:

Make the pastry first by placing the flour, sugar, butter and egg yolk into a food processor and pulse until the mix comes away on the sides.
Place the dough on the bench and knead until the dough is smooth and combined.
Place in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 190c degrees and place a 30cm round tart pan on the bench ready for later.
In the food processor pulse the figs until finely chopped, then place in a small bowl mixed in with the Marsala. Leave aside for 20 minutes so the figs soak up the liquid.
Place the ricotta, sugar, honey and egg in a large bowl and whisk until combine.
In the food processor pulse the hazelnuts until finely chopped, place in with the ricotta mix as well as the zest of an orange and fig mix.
Whisk until smooth and combined.
For the tart shell cut off approx. a 5^th of the pastry and leave aside for the top of the tart.
With the remaining larger quantity of pastry roll into a ball then rollout with a rolling pin to a 35cm radius circle.
Place the pastry in the tart pan, pressing the pastry into the bottom and sides of the tin.
Trim the pastry if it overlaps and add to the smaller quantity.
Bake the tart shell for 10 minutes.
Spoon the ricotta mix into the tart and smooth down with a spoon.
With the remaining pastry roll out and cut into long 1 cm strips. Top the tart with the strips overlapping to create a lattice look.
Brush the lattice pastry with the remaining egg white.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
Once cooled dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

Ingredients

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Cocoa Ricotta Mousse Tarts

Posted on March 28, 2016 Posted in Tarts .

Cocoa Ricotta Mousse Tarts

I have made many versions of chocolate mousse with interesting ingredients, from silken Tofu to Avocado (check out my Healthy Chocolate Mousse Tart and Avocado Chocolate and Orange Mousse Tart recipes) and made unusual icings from Ricotta to Yoghurt (check out my Rubarb Strawberry Yoghurt cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting).

Thus from this experience I do know there is always an alternative to fattening cream that can have nutrient and vitamin benefits instead.

Since I was going down the pathway of experimenting with another alternative version of mousse I decided to also use an alternative to chocolate to lower the sugar content.

Standard chocolate mousse is filled with full fat whipped cream, sugar and lots of chocolate. My aim was to use low fat ricotta instead of cream, cocoa with a little sugar and honey to mimic the chocolate effect and add a little Kahlua kick to intensify the chocolate flavor.

I also wanted to make this super easy (all you need to do it place all ingredients in a blender). This recipe is pretty much fool proof, instantly thick and super tasty.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

200g flour
100g butter
40g sugar

Filling:

400g ricotta
2 eggs
55g honey
55g icing sugar
40g cocoa powder
3 tsn Kahlua

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and spray a 12 x 7cm capacity cupcake tray with oil spray.
Place all the pastry ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 25ml of water and blitz until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl.
Knead dough for a minute and roll out between 2 pieces of baking paper.
Use a 9cm cookie cutter to cut out 12 pastry circles and place in the center of each mold.
Using a fork prick the middle of the pastry and place the shells in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile place the ricotta, egg yolk, honey, sugar, cocoa powder and Kahlua into the food processor and blitz until soft and smooth.
Place the egg whites into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until peaks form.
Fold the chocolate mix into the egg whites and leave in the fridge for later.
Place the pastry shells into the oven for 18 minutes or until the shells start to brown slightly.
Set the shells aside to cool completely.
Spoon the chocolate mix into the shells and enjoy.

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Portuguese Custard Tarts

Posted on November 30, 2015 Posted in Portugal, Tarts .

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Portuguese Custard Tarts (aka Pastéis De Nata) are not only Portuguese traditional delicious sweet treats they are super easy to make!

The background of these lovely treats is quite interesting. They were created back in the 1800’s when egg-whites were used for starching of clothes, therefore egg yolks were in the abundance. Due to this the leftover egg yolks were used to make cakes and pastries – where Portuguese Custard Tarts was one of these treats.

There have been many alterations to the recipe over the years (etc speckled with Cinnamon) however I believe the original flavor mix is the best!

Ingredients:

165g sugar
185g water
2 lemon peels
1 tsn vanilla essence
35g corn flour
375g milk
3 egg yolks
1 sheet of puffy pastry

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200c degrees and spray a 12 capacity muffin tin with oil spray.
Place the sugar, water, lemon peel and essence in a pan on a high heat on the stove, stir constantly until boiling.
Conclude the stirring and let the syrup thicken up for a few minutes.
Take off the heat to cool slightly.
Place the corn flour, milk and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until well combine.
Pour the milk mix into the saucepan with the sugar syrup and whisk with the hand whisk until the sugar syrup has dissolved into the milk mix.
Place the saucepan on the heat and on high stir continuously until the mix thickens and boils (about 5 mins), set aside to cool.
Fold the pastry sheet in half and roll up at the short end tightly into a log shape.
Trim the edges of the log and cut circles 1cm thick. You will have 12 rounds.
Lay the pastry flat on the bench and using a rolling pin roll out to 10x10cm circles.
Press the pastry into the muffin tin holes and lightly press in place.
Spoon the custard mix into the pastry cups.
Place the tin in the oven for 25 minutes or until the tops of the custard gets dark golden.
Allow to cool and enjoy!

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Coffee Caramel Tart

Posted on June 9, 2015 Posted in Tarts .

Coffee Caramel Tart

This tart is simple, straightforward and not too crazy with methodology or taste combinations.

Caramel and coffee makes sense and does sound like a perfect match. Why this recipe makes it to this website is that I actually came up with this recipe by combining a few recipes into one.

I have used a recipe base of a Banoffee pie, however created a caramel latté twist instead of a banana flavour base.

If you love your café lattes this tart will be a moreish and addictive teat!

Ingredients:

Pastry:

200g flour
100g butter
50g sugar

Filling:

435g cream
10g coffee granules
375g caramel (I used Nestle top ‘n’ fill).
3 egg yolks

Topping:

250g cream
100g caramel

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees.
Place the pastry ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add 50g of water and process until the mix resembles dough and comes away at the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough for a minute then divide into 6 balls of 60g each.
With a rolling pin roll the balls to disks and place in 6 small tart cases.
Prick the pastry with a fork a few times and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the filling by placing the 435g cream and the coffee granules in the microwave on a high heat until boiling.
Stir to combine and leave aside to cool.
Place the 375g of caramel in a bowl with the egg yolks and whisk with a hand whisk until well combine.
Add the cream mix to the caramel mix and whisk with a hand whisk until smooth and combine.
Place some rice or baking weights onto some baking paper and add to the center of each tart case to weight down the rise of the pastry base while cooking.
Place the tart shells in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and weights and bake in the oven for a further 8 minutes or until the tart shells are slightly golden brown.
Turn the oven down to 180c degrees.
Pour the caramel filling into the pastry shells until full to the top.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is set.
Allow the tarts to cool then place in the fridge for an hour to firm up.
For the topping beat the cream with caramel with an electric mix until peaks form.
Spoon the cream over the caramel top and sprinkle with a few coffee granules.

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Coconut and Beetroot Tart

Posted on August 25, 2014 Posted in Tarts .

Coconut and Beetroot Tart

If you’re not a big fan of beetroot then I recommend you check out the below posted recipe…If you love beetroot this pie will put you in heaven.

An addictively strong beetroot flavour gem with an after hit of coconut, the interesting mix of flavours and use of one of the sweetest vegetables will surprise and satisfy.

In previous beetroot baking I have mastered what I think is the best version of Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies, however without the strong taste of chocolate this tart lets the beetroot shine!

Ingredients:

Pastry:

220g plain flour
100g butter
55g white sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbsn desiccated coconut
½ tsn vanilla essence

Filling:

420g can of beetroot (you will need 250g drained)
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsn group mixed spice
2 tsn lemon juice
1/2 tsn coconut essence
1 cup coconut cream
4 eggs

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 190c.
Place the flour, butter, sugar, egg yolk, coconut and vanilla in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Now process until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
If mix is to dry add 1 tbsn on water and process.
Place the mix into a bowl and kneed until combined, shape into a ball and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Roll the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and place the dough into a tart tray.
Place baking paper on top of the tart and blind bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the paper and beans/rice and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 180c.
Place 100ml water, brown sugar and spice in a bowl, mix together then microwave on high for 1 minute or until the mix starts to bubble. Leave aside to cool.
Place the beetroot, juice, essence, coconut cream and sugar syrup into a food processor and process until smooth.
Whisk the 4 eggs until thick and pale.
Add the beetroot mix into the eggs and fold until combine.
Pour the mix into the tart shell and bake for 40 minutes or until the filling is set.

Note:

I have sprinkled a little desiccated coconut on top of the tart for presentation.
You can use coconut milk instead of cream, however it will change the texture creaminess slightly.
Blind baking means the tart will cook but the rice/beans stops the centre of the tart from puffing up, allowing for sufficient space for the filling to sit in.

Ingredients

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Avocado Chocolate and Orange Mousse Tart

Posted on July 6, 2014 Posted in Tarts .

Avocado, Chocolate and Orange Mousse Tart

Creamy and rich chocolate mousse that is scrumptious, made of fruit and is free from sugar, cream and butter…you have to be kidding right? Wait don’t click off this post, its true I promise!

Not only that, this recipe is actually healthy for you, seriously!

To be able to serve this mousse I have also created a pastry tart shell recipe that is also sugar free to keep with the no sugar theme. This is also detailed below:

Ingredients:

Pastry

2 cups flour
½ tsn salt
50g honey
2 tsn cocoa powder
110g butter
1 egg
1 tbsn milk

Mousse

100g pitted dates
2 avocadoes
1 orange
150g honey
55g cocoa powder
½ tsn cinnamon
½ tsn ground cardamom
1/2 ground mixed cloves

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175c and spray a tart tin with oil.
Place the flour, salt and cocoa powder into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
Dice the butter into small pieces and process until combined.
Add the egg, honey and milk and process until combined.
Wash hands and turn dough out onto the bench and kneed into a ball onto baking paper.
Using a rolling pin roll the dough into a circle shape and place into the tart tin.
Place the tin into the fridge for 20 mins.
Place the dates into boiling hot water in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
Blind bake the tart shell (place baking paper and rice on top of the tart shell to stop the pastry rising).
Place the tart shell in the oven and cook for 20 mins. remove the rice and bakng paper and bake for further 5 mins or until the pastry sides have browned.
Once the tart is cooled place on a cooling rack until cooled.
To make the mousse place the drained dates, avocado, orange zest, juice, cocoa powder, honey, cinnamon, cardamom and mixed cloves into a food processor and process until smooth and combine.
Spoon the mousse into the cooled tart shell and flatten the top.
Place in the fridge to set for 1 hour minimum.

Notes:

For best results make the day prior and leave overnight in the fridge, letting the mousse really set. This will thicken the texture of the mousse making it hold its shape for much longer, especially when slicing and platting up.
You can decorate with some additional grated orange zest or sift some extra cocoa powder.

Ingredients

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Orange Lemon and Chocolate Cannoli Tart

Posted on June 15, 2014 Posted in Tarts .

Orange Lemon and Chocolate Cannoli Tart

I have this absolutely awesome Cannoli recipe where I usually cheat and buy the Cannoli shells from my Italian grocery down the road. I buy the shells as I’m not a fan of deep frying food and to be honest try to opt for the more healthier versions of sweets if I can.

Now, my Italian grocery has recently been taken over and I don’t like my chances of being able to get my hands on the usual traditional Italian products I have in the past. So I had a though…What would happen if I tried to make my awesome Cannoli’s in a tart instead of the fried shells?

Sweet pastry is quite simple to make (especially if you have a food processor) therefore by turning my Cannoli’s into a tart I won’t have to deep fry or make my own shells.

The outcome – This by far would have to be one of the best sweets I have made in a long time. The only difference from my Cannoli recipe is I added an egg and baked this version and OMG I had people telling me how much they adored my tart that had never commented on my baking before.

Ingredients:

Pastry

2 cups flour
½ cup white sugar
½ tsn salt
2 tsn cocoa powder
100g butter
1 egg
1 tbns milk

Filling

375g ricotta
165g icing sugar
1 egg
I lemon
1 orange
100g 70% cocoa dark chocolate

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175c and spray a tart tin with oil.
Place the flour, sugar, salt and cocoa powder into a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
Dice the butter into small pieces and process until combined.
Add the egg and milk and process until combined.
Wash hands and turn dough out into a ball onto baking paper.
Using a rolling pin roll the dough into a circle shape and place into the tart tin and place tin into the fridge for 20 mins.
Place the ricotta, egg and icing sugar into a bowl.
Grate the chocolate, orange zest and lemon zest into the bowl.
Stir until all ingredients are combined well.
Spoon the mix into the tart tin and smooth the top.
Place into the oven and cook for 25 mins or until the party is browned and the filling has puffed up a bit.
Once cooked let the tart cook before removing from tin.

Notes:

If you don’t have a food processor combine flour, sugar, salt, cocoa ponder and diced butter in a bowl. Rub butter with dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs. With your hands mix in the egg and milk until the dough is formed.

Ingredients

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Rice and Almond Tart

Posted on April 29, 2014 Posted in Tarts .

Rice and Almond Tart

If you are a fan of almonds and want to try a recipe with a very interesting and unique texture then this tart is for you.

I’m not really a big rice eater nor almond, however incorporating rice in a tart seemed interesting and got me wanting to experiment.

This tart is not super sweet but goes very well with a dollop of cream or ice-cream on the side for a filling sweet treat.

Ingredients:

2 cups of rice milk
½ cup white sugar
1 tsn cinnamon
½ cup medium grain rice
2 eggs
½ cup almond meal
½ tsn almond essence
1 tbsn lime rind finally grated
1 x 28cm sweet short crust pastry shell or store brought sweet crust pastry.

Method:

If using store brought pastry, roll out on a lightly floured surface and transfer pastry into a lightly greased 25cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you are using a bought tart shell omit this step.
Preheat the oven to 200c.
Line the pan with baking paper and fill with rice (this is called blind baking which stops the center of the pastry in the tart rising).
Bake for 15 minutes, remove paper and rice and cook for a further 5 minutes until ever so slightly browned.
Place milk, sugar and cinnamon in a pan and stir over the stove on low until the sugar is dissolved. Boil, add the rice then simmer covered, stirring every 5 minutes for 25 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Cool.
Blend the rice with a mixer/food processor until smooth.
Mix the rice mix, eggs, almond meal, almond essence and rind in a bowl.
Pour into the pastry shell and cook on 180c in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.

Notes:

This can be served with cream or ice-cream.

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Healthy Chocolate Mousse Tart

Posted on January 18, 2014 Posted in Tarts .

Healthy Chocolate Mousse Tart

Yep, you read that correctly. No cream, sugar or butter naughtiness. The only ingredient in this that makes it a chocolate mousse technically is the chocolate!

Introducing the high protein, low GI, (depending on the yoghurt brand you use) healthy (low fat) chocolate mouse.

Now this recipe is for a mousse, however the last time I made this I placed the mousse into a sweet short crust tart shell and not one person realised that it wasn’t a full fat chocolate naughty tart.

Such a simple recipe you will never go back to a cream based mousse again!

Ingredients:

200g dark chocolate
350g soft silken tofu, drained
2 tsn vanilla essence
1/8 tsn almond essence
½ cup fat free plain yoghurt

Method:

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on medium in the microwave for 1 minute or until the chocolate starts to melt slightly. With a metal spoon stir until chocolate is smooth and melted.
Place the tofu and essence in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Add chocolate and process until combined and smooth.
Pour mix into a bowl with yoghurt and fold to combine.
Pour mix into a read made short crust pastry shell (see notes) and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes:

As mentioned I bough a sweet crust already made pastry shell for this. All I did was follow the directions on the pack and once cooled placed the mousse into the shell and then refrigerated.
You can also decorate with a cup of mixed berries to serve or with some shaved chocolate curls.
For more information on how to make the pastry shell please see my spiced pumpkin pie recipe for details on 3 how to make the pastry from scratch.

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healthy chocolate mousse tarts