WHAT IS TARTE EN BANDE?
Tarte en bande is simply a puff pastry base cut to a band and usually filled with pastry cream and topped fresh fruits. In this post, I have utilised a chocolate puff pastry that I have made with Chocolate Creme Legere.
WHAT IS CREME LEGERE?
Crème Légère is a type of cream made with a Creme Pâtissier (custard) base and lighten with a soft whipped cream. The addition of the soft whipped cream helps lighten the commonly heavy creme pâtissier. Another similar type of cream base to the creme legere is the creme diplomat which consist of gelatine.
To make the Chocolate Tarte en Bande...
RECIPE
Yield: 2 x 35cm x 16cm tarte en band
CHOCOLATE PUFF PASTRY
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Chocolate Puff Pastry | 900g |
*Note: 900 g chocolate puff pastry for 2 x tarte en bande.
CHOCOLATE CREME LEGERE
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Caster Sugar | 30g |
Cornstarch | 20g |
Egg yolks | 20g |
Full Cream Milk | 240g |
Salt | 2 g |
Dark Chocolate | 95g |
Unsalted Butter | 25g |
Vanilla Bean Paste | 10 g |
Thickened Cream 35% Fat | 160g |
Note: Recipe for Chocolate Creme Legere is enough for two Chocolate Tarte En Bande.
GLAZE FOR FRUITS
INGREDIENTS | QUANTITY |
Neutral Glaze | 30g |
Water | 60g |
Heat the neutral glaze with the water until the glaze is fully dissolved. Strain if there are any lumps. Use glaze for fruits while still liquid. If you want to make your own neutral glaze, you can visit my post on "Neutral Glaze".
METHOD
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CREME LEGERE
Place the milk and vanilla bean paste in a pot and bring to a mere simmer.
Meanwhile, mix the sugar and corn starch together, and in 3 to 4 additions, whisk the dry mixture into the egg yolks and whisk together until well combined.
Pour the warm milk mixture over the yolk slurry gradually while continuously whisking. You have now created an anglaise base. Transfer the anglaise back into the pot and cook while whisking over low to medium heat until it starts to thicken. Once thicken, continue to cook for another 2 minutes, ensuring that you keep whisking to prevent the bottom of the pastry cream from burning.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until well combined, then pour into the chocolate and whisk until well mixed through.
Cover the chocolate creme pâtissier and leave to cool completely in the fridge.
Once cooled and ready for assembly, loosen the chocolate pastry cream by whisking it then fold in the soft whipped the thickened cream. You have now created a Crème Légère.
Transfer the Crème Légère into a pastry bag fitted with a 1cm diameter plan pastry tip and fill the baked chocolate tarte en band.
Line the top of the Crème Légère with fresh fruits then glaze with neutral glaze.
ASSEMBLY
For each 450g of puff pastry , roll to 35cm to 20cm rectangle of 5mm in thickness.
With the excess dough, cut 2 x (1.5cm x 35cm) strips.
Leaving approximately 2mm from the edges, brush the puff pastry rectangles with some egg whites then place the strips on both ends lengthways.
Using the back of a pairing knife, press the edges in to created a fluted patten. Repeat the process on the opposite ends.
Bake the tart en band pastry at 180C for 30 minutes or until well baked through.
Once the Puff Pastry band is baked, leave for it to cool fully over a wire rack.
Once cooled, whisk the chocolate pastry cream until smooth then pipe/spread over on top of the puff pastry. Spread the pastry cream to level then line with assorted fruits.
Heat the flan gel until liquid but not boiling. Brush the top of the fruits with the liquid flan gel. Decorate with gold leaves (optional).
