Mango Tart - A Cheery Good Way to Start the Week

You know what, I need to go on a baking supplies ban. Last week, Chelle and I finally made a trip down to Chinatown to explore Sia Huat. Though they didn't stock as much baking supplies as I would have liked, the trip was fruitful. I bought the ramekins I've been eyeing for ages real cheap, and got myself some tart rings in the process! Boy, this place is evil. The damage wasn't too much, as the prices were really reasonable. Some of the things I bought from Phoon Huat were also a tad cheaper there. I think I may make a trip there again someday, perhaps when I've got my ban lifted...haha.

Armed with my tart rings and feeling inspired, I went searching for a tart recipe to put my spanking new tart rings into good use! I was torn between the simple yet classic Tart Noire from a recent TWD, and the perennial household favourite - the Mango Tart. With time on my hands, I opted for the slightly more fussy one, the Mango Tart.

I made these using the basic recipes - Pâte Sablée and Vanilla Pastry Cream - from Baking from my home to yours, and put them together fairly quickly. Mum happened to buy two huge and sweet mangoes from the market, and these came at just the right time as the icing on the cake for these cheery babies.

The tart rings were a breeze to use. I love how the round shape yielded sturdier tart shells compared to my fluted tart pans. I've had tart bases breaking on me a number of times, but these rings were good, causing my tarts to remain intact despite my not-so-gentle handling. The removal process was also a breeze.

These fresh mango tarts were a great way to start off the week. I love how the sweetness of the mangoes complements the silky pastry cream and the crunchy base. Perhaps next time I'd make these with mango pastry cream to further heighten the mango flavour!

Mango Tart

recipes adapted from Baking from my home to yours

For Pâte Sablée

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Preparation:
1. Put the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine.
2. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in--you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas.
3. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses--about 10 seconds each--until the dough, whisk will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.
4. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change--heads up.
5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and , very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
6. Butter the tart rings. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the ring, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer.
7. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. Put the tarts on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes.
8. Remove the aluminium foil. Bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer the tart pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling.


For Pastry Cream
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp  cornstarch
45g salted butter

Preparation:
1. Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Working in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, whisk the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until thick and pale. Whisking continuously, drizzle 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the yolks very slowly. Continue whisking as you pour the rest of the liquid in a steady stream over the tempered yolks.
3. Put the saucepan over medium heat and, whisk continuously and without stopping, while the mixture comes to the boil. Turn down the flame and keep the mixture at the boil, whisking energetically, for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and scrape the pastry cream into a bowl. Allow the pastry cream to cool on the counter for about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract and let steep for 5 mins, then stir in the butter into the hot pastry cream, continuing to stir until the butter is melted and fully incorporated. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the cream to seal the surface and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

When ready to assemble, spoon the pastry cream into the cooled tart shells and decorate the tarts with fresh mango slices. Top with instant jelly glaze.