COCONUT CREAM AND MACADAMIA NUT TART
COCONUT CREAM AND MACADAMIA NUT TART
I first published this for my cookbook Chef Sharing the Table. Last week I made this for a neighbor who loves coconut. It was a great hit!
Is there any dessert more luscious and creamier than a coconut cream pie? Well, this dessert may raise that level of indulgence. When asked to create an island menu dessert for a fundraiser, I thought about a coconut cream pie and added the macadamia nut crust. It was instantly a winner, a dreamy slice of island tart. Make room for this one, and it’s worth it!
Yields 1–11-inch tart or 12-2-inch tartlets
Macadamia Nut Crust
¾ cup unsalted, raw macadamia nuts (4 ounces)
¼ cup granulated sugar (.9 ounce)
½ teaspoon sea salt (.1 ounce)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (6 ¾ ounces)
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (4 ounces)
1 large egg yolk (⅓ ounce)
Coconut Cream Filling
3 large eggs (6 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
4 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (1 ¼ ounce)
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (4.8 ounces)
3 cups whole milk (24 fluid ounces)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (3 ounces)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (½ fluid ounce)
Cream Topping
2 cups heavy cream, chilled (16 fluid ounces)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional) (½ ounce))
1 tablespoon whipped cream stabilizer (optional)* (.35 ounce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (⅙ fluid ounce)
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (1.2 ounces)
Macadamia Nut Crust
1. Pulse the nuts, sugar, and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Do not over-process. Add the flour and pulse once. Add the cold butter and pulse for fifteen seconds or until the dough is pea sized. Add the egg yolk and pulse just until the mixture begins to come together. Turn out and knead with fingertips until uniformly moist.
2. Place the mixture into one eleven-inch tart pan or twelve tartlet pans. Gently press into pan(s). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Dock the crust with a fork. Line with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
4. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove foil and weights. Continue to bake until dry and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Coconut Cream Filling
1. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and flour together in a mixing bowl.
2. Heat the milk and coconut in a saucepan until almost simmering over medium-high heat.
3. Temper the egg mixture by whisking small amounts of the hot coconut milk into the egg mixture, slowly bringing up the temperature of the eggs. Pour this mixture into the remaining coconut milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for four to five minutes until it thickens.
4. Remove from the heat and whip in the butter and vanilla extract. Chill in an ice-water bath. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap—Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Finishing Touches
1. Whip the cream with an electric mixer in a chilled bowl before serving. Add the (optional) powdered sugar, (optional) whipping cream stabilizer and vanilla. Whip to firm peaks that hold their shape.
2. Fill the pre-baked macadamia crust with the coconut filling. Top with the whipped cream and toasted shredded coconut. Store and serve cold.
NOTE: The crust may be made one day in advance. The coconut filling may be made two days in advance.
*Oetker ‘Whip it’, a whipping cream stabilizer, will keep the whipped cream stiff for hours without separating. It can be found in the baking aisle of specialty grocery stores or import marts.
COCONUT CREAM AND MACADAMIA NUT TART
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted, raw macadamia nuts (4 ounces)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (.9 ounce)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (.1 ounce)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (6 ¾ ounces)
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (4 ounces)
- 1 large egg yolk (⅓ ounce)
- 3 large eggs (6 ounces)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
- 4 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (1 ¼ ounce)
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (4.8 ounces)
- 3 cups whole milk (24 fluid ounces)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (3 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (½ fluid ounce)
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled (16 fluid ounces)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional) (½ ounce))
- 1 tablespoon whipped cream stabilizer (optional)* (.35 ounce)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (⅙ fluid ounce)
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (1.2 ounces)
Instructions
- Pulse the nuts, sugar, and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Do not over-process. Add the flour and pulse once. Add the cold butter and pulse for fifteen seconds or until the dough is pea sized. Add the egg yolk and pulse just until the mixture begins to come together. Turn out and knead with fingertips until uniformly moist.
- Place the mixture into one eleven-inch tart pan or twelve tartlet pans. Gently press into pan(s). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Dock the crust with a fork. Line with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
- Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove foil and weights. Continue to bake until dry and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, and flour together in a mixing bowl.
- Heat the milk and coconut in a saucepan until almost simmering over medium-high heat.
- Temper the egg mixture by whisking small amounts of the hot coconut milk into the egg mixture, slowly bringing up the temperature of the eggs. Pour this mixture into the remaining coconut milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for four to five minutes until it thickens.
- Remove from the heat and whip in the butter and vanilla extract. Chill in an ice-water bath. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap—Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Whip the cream with an electric mixer in a chilled bowl before serving. Add the (optional) powdered sugar, (optional) whipping cream stabilizer and vanilla. Whip to firm peaks that hold their shape.
- Fill the pre-baked macadamia crust with the coconut filling. Top with the whipped cream and toasted shredded coconut. Store and serve cold.
Notes
The crust may be made one day in advance. The coconut filling may be made two days in advance.
*Oetker ‘Whip it’, a whipping cream stabilizer, will keep the whipped cream stiff for hours without separating. It can be found in the baking aisle of specialty grocery stores or import marts.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
627.14Fat (grams)
44.43 gSat. Fat (grams)
26.17 gCarbs (grams)
51.69 gFiber (grams)
2.07 gNet carbs
49.63 gSugar (grams)
35.63 gProtein (grams)
8.17 gSodium (milligrams)
208.82 mgCholesterol (grams)
149.33 mgThe information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.