Coconut Tarts

I do love coconut and have made quite a few recipes that include it, but today’s recipe makes coconut the star.  

These individual coconut tarts are made in small, fluted, moulds.  But they could equally well be made in a bun tin.  In that case the pastry would have a wider base, but be shallower with the same amount of coconut filling.  So they would work well too.

With the pastry being very easy to make and really lovely and tender to eat, as well as the delicious coconut filling, these tarts are really worth trying.  I did think about adding a little raspberry jam in the tart, on top of the pastry.  That would certainly work very well indeed, but I decided to keep to just the simple coconut filling in this instance.  However if you make these and want to add a little jam into each tart I know it will be very good.

Although in my recipe I used custard powder as the thickening agent in the coconut filling, as it added a little extra flavour, using plain flour in the same amount will work fine.

My tarts turned out very well indeed, just as I wanted them.  The pastry was fully cooked, light, tender and crumbly to eat and went very well with the coconut filling.  I will definitely be making these again.  

For the pastry:

• 75g(1/3 cup) softened unsalted butter
• 25g(2 tbsp) caster sugar(or granulated)
• 1 medium egg yolk(large in USA), at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 130g(1 cup) plain flour

For the coconut filling:

• 100g(1 1/4 cup) dessicated coconut
• 8g (1 tbsp) custard powder(or plain flour if you wish)
• 65g(1/3 cup) caster sugar(or granulated)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 60ml(1/4 cup) milk
• 1 medium egg(large in USA) at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 28g(2 tbsp) melted butter
• a pinch of salt

Method:

1. First make the pasty by creaming the butter and the sugar until all is well combined.
2. Add the egg yolk and mix again until fully combined.
3. Do the same with the vanilla extract.
4. Add the flour and mix with a spatula until the mixture comes together into a crumbly dough.  Do not over mix as this will make the pastry tougher.
5. Form the dough into a disc, on some plastic wrap and fully enclose.  Then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and the press each piece into a mould, or into the hole of a bun tin. (My moulds were 2.5 inches/6 cm in diameter at the top and 1 inch/2.5 cm in depth).
7. Use a knife to cut off any excess dough.
8. Place the moulded dough into the fridge to chill as the coconut filling is made.
9. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F
10. Place the coconut, custard powder(or flour), salt, sugar and baking powder into a bowl and mix to distribute all ingredients.
11. In a separate bowl place the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla extract and whisk until all is fully combined.
12. Pour the wet ingredients into the coconut and mix until all is thoroughly combined.
13. When the oven is preheated take the pastry dough from the fridge.
14. Fill each mould with enough of the coconut mixture to fill and slighty mound in the centre.
15. Place the filled moulds on a baking tray.
16. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until fully baked.
17. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the tarts from the moulds.