Winter in Australia calls for a flush in Passionfruit. This Brazilian native fruits is one of my favourite addition to add tartness to my desserts since it goes really well with almost anything. In this post, I am sharing with you my super delicious chocolate short crust pastry with mixed berry compote at the base filled with cold set lemon curd. It is recommended that after you have have completed the assembly that you let the tart chill for several hours in the fridge before serving.
RECIPE
YIELD: 1 x 20 cm Tart
Equipment: 20 cm diameter x 3 cm depth removable base tart ring.
CHOCOLATE SWEET PASTRY
200g Unsalted butter, room temperature but not too soft 130g Icing sugar - 50 g Egg ( 1Large egg) 40g Almond meal 20g Cocoa Powder 330g Plain Flour 2g Fine Salt
Note: There will be some excess dough leftover from this recipe. You can simply mix the dough back together, flatten them and wrap to be stored in the fridge to up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months for future use.
BERRY COMPOTE
30 g Fresh/frozen blueberries
30 g Fresh/frozen Raspberries
75 g Fresh/frozen Strawberries
35 g Fresh/frozen Blackberries
30 g Caster Sugar
PASSIONFRUIT CURD
200 g Whole Eggs
40 g Egg Yolks
120 g Passionfruit Puree
60 g Castor Sugar
75 g Unsalted butter - room temperature
1 Gelatine Leaf GOLD
FINISHING
50 g Neutral Glaze
5 g Water
1 Passionfruit Pulp
Note: If you are unable to find neutral glaze, you can simply just use the pulp for the topping.
Method
For the Chocolate Sweet Pastry
1. Place the room temperature butter into the stand mixer bowl together with the sifted icing sugar fitted with a paddle attachment. Start mixing over medium speed until the butter starts to become fluffy and there are no lumps of butter present.
2. Add in the room temperature egg in to the butter mix and mix slightly then add in the sifted dry ingredients in two additions. Continue to mix over low speed at the start (to prevent the flour from flying everywhere) then to medium speed until the mixture comes into a dough. Do not over mix.
Note: To prevent the egg and the butter from separating, only mix for a short burst then add in the first addition of dry ingredients followed by the rest of the dry mix.
3. Transfer the dough onto the work bench (lightly dust the work bench with some flour if necessary but avoid dusting too much as this can cause the pastry to become dry), knead the dough until smooth and to incorporate any butter or dry mix that has not been mixed through well enough in the mixer.
Divide the dough into two equal portion, flatten them into a square then wrap with cling film. Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least two hours or ideally overnight before rolling it out.
Note: Dividing the dough in to smaller portions allow for easier handling when you roll out one dough with the other still chilled in the fridge.
4. Once the dough have rested, lightly dust your work bench with some flour and place the dough onto it. Dust some flour on the top of the pastry as well and roll the dough out to approximately 0.5 cm / 5mm in thickness. Cut out disc that is approximately 1 cm wider on the edge of the individual tart tin then gently place it into the tart tin ensuring that the bottom edges are snugly press in to have a sharper edges.
5. Place the lined tart tin into the fridge covered for another 30 minutes to firm up slightly again. Trim the excess pastry around the rim of the pastry tin then scrunch up a baking paper and line them on top of the pastry. Fill it with baking rice or beans all the way up and press it flat to make sure that the sides do not puff up or slide during the par baking process. Par bake the pastry in the pre heated oven at 170°C for approximately 15 minutes, remove the tray from the oven then remove the baking rice and the baking paper on top. Return the pastry back into the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and if the base of the tart rises slightly, gently press it flat while the pastry is still hot. The base should feel hard and not doughy.
While the pastry is cooling, proceed the preparing the Passionfruit filling.
Note: Depending on the thickness of your pastry, baking time may vary.
For the Berries Compote
Place all the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat until the fruits starts to release some of its liquid and softens. Once the compote starts to boil, continue to cook while constantly stirring to prevent the base from burning for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until the compote starts to thicken slightly. Do not be tempted to over cook as the mix will thickens more as it cools.
For the Passionfruit Curd
1. Soak the gelatine sheets in to cold water until soften. Squeeze out the excess water then set aside ready to use. Place the passion fruit puree into a saucepan and bring to a mere simmer.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg, yolks and sugar together until well incorporated.
2. Stream in the hot purees in to the egg mix while continuously whisking, then transfer the curd mix back in to the sauce pan over low heat and keep cooking while whisking constantly until it turns in to a thick consistency or when you dip a wooden spoon into the curd and run a finger over it, the line stays.
3. Turn off the heat and transfer the curd into a deep jug and let it cool to 35°C.
Meanwhile, cut the room temperature butter in to small cubes.
4. Once the curd have cooled, place the butter cubes in 3 addition into the curd and stick blend until smooth.
5. Transfer the curd in to a pastry bag then pipe into the tart shells to the top. Tap the tarts gently to even out the curd then place the filled tarts in to fridge for the curd to fully set.
Assembly
Prepare the compote and spread it into the base of the baked and cooled chocolate tart shell. Prepare the passionfruit curd. Place the filled tart in the fridge for several hours to set then decorate the top by mixing the water, neutral glaze and passion fruit pulp together and spoon the passionfruit mix on top of the set tart.
If you are unable to find neutral glaze, you can simply just spoon the pulp on top. the neutral glaze helps thicken the pulp on the top of the curd.
Storage
It is best to let the tart chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set before serving. Leftover passionfruit tarts (if you have any) can last up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
