Blueberry Toasted Coconut Tart

Ingredients:

Toasted Coconut Tart Dough:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup toasted coconut

5 ounces cold butter, cubed

1 large egg yolk

Toasted Coconut Pastry Cream:

2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup toasted coconut

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Blueberry Topping:

3 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Toasted Coconut Tart Dough:

1) Combine the flour, sugar, toasted coconut, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse briefly until well-blended.

2) Add the butter and pulse until it is in small pea-sized pieces.

3) Add the egg yolk and pulse in long 5-second bursts until the dough starts clumping together.

4) Remove the dough and knead it lightly to incorporate any extra flour.

5) The dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for several days. If you’re ready to use it now, grease a 9-inch springform pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan in an even layer. Freeze the shell for 30 minutes, and while it’s the freezer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

6) Spray the top of the dough with nonstick spray, then press a sheet of foil into the shell, shiny side down, and fill the foil with dry beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake the shell for 20 minutes, until the sides start to take on a little color and the center no longer looks raw, then carefully remove the foil and weights. Bake for an additional 14-15 minutes, until the shell is golden brown. You might want to cover the sides with foil to prevent them from getting too dark. Let the shell cool completely before filling it.

Toasted Coconut Pastry Cream:

1) Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.

2) Combine the milk, sugar, salt, and corn starch in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch and for the mixture to heat up. Once it starts to bubble and thicken, remove it from the heat.

3) Whisk the bowl of egg yolks while slowly streaming in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture. While whisking the milk mixture, slowly add back the egg mixture.

4) Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and has the texture of pudding. Once thick, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the toasted coconut, the vanilla extract, and the coconut extract.

5) Let cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally so that the top doesn’t form a skin. If you want to make this in advance, pour it into a bowl or airtight container, press cling wrap right on top of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled. Pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Blueberry Topping and Assembly:

1) Combine 1 cup of fresh blueberries with the sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally while the sugar melts.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and corn starch, and when the corn starch has dissolved, pour this mixture into the blueberry saucepan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, while the blueberries come to a simmer, break down, and begin to thicken. Cook until the mixture has a thick jammy consistency, about 3-4 minutes once it comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, then whisk occasionally as it cools to room temperature.

3) Once room temperature, stir in the remaining 2 cups of fresh blueberries.

4) To assemble, remove the tart shell from the pan. Spread the chilled pastry cream in the the bottom of the shell. Top with the cool blueberry topping mixture.

5) Chill the tart for about 30 minutes to set all the components together.