Lemon Coconut Tartlets

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Playing with ingredients is definitely something I enjoy from time to time – and if I were honest, it’s one of the reasons why I became a pastry chef – the creativity and the possibilities are immense, it just takes imagination, knowledge and a bit of bravery sometimes. Not that combining lemon and coconut is brave… or hugely creative for that matter! In fact, it’s a pretty common flavor combo, one that I enjoy every single time.

The layers of this dessert include: vanilla sable breton, coconut dacquoise, lemon curd and a final layer of Swiss meringue which I bruleed as a final touch, both for taste and design reasons. The final tartlets are a bit on the sweet side of things, but the lemon balances the sweetness perfectly. And you’re left with a dessert that was a huge hit at the charity party I took part a few weeks ago. In fact, these were first to sell out!

These lemon coconut tartlets are the definition of exquisite desserts, ones that look elegant and classy and taste just as good as they look. The buttery sable breton is well complemented by the spongy dacquoise – and to top it all off, the curd is maybe one of the best I ever made, it’s the one recipe I know by heart and keep making again and again whenever I happen to have leftover egg yolks. The creaminess and richness of the lemon curd is just what a dessert like this one needs to reach perfection!

Servings :6 -8 tartlets

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Ingredients

Vanilla Sable Breton:

125 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
115 g butter (softened)
65 g powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coconut Dacquoise:

95 g egg whites
30 g white sugar
20 g almond flour
75 g powdered sugar
60 g shredded coconut
15 g all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Curd:

5 egg yolks
210 g white sugar
Zest from 2 lemons
90 ml fresh lemon juice
110 g butter
1 pinch salt

Swiss Meringue:

2 egg whites
100 g white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Vanilla Sable Breton:

Sift the flour with salt and baking powder in a bowl.
Prepare a few small cake rings and a large pan, as well as two sheets of baking paper.
Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy and pale.
Add the vanilla and egg yolks and mix well then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
The dough will be very soft and sticky. Spoon it on a sheet of baking paper.
Top with the remaining baking paper and roll the dough into a sheet that has 6-8mm thickness.
Place the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Using small cake rings, cut the dough, keeping it into the cake rings for baking later on. The best way to do this is to cut the dough then simply remove the excess dough around the rings instead of moving the rings altogether.
Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, but dn’t turn the oven off.

Coconut Dacquoise:

Mix the almond flour, powdered sugar, shredded coconut, flour and salt in a bowl.
Whip the egg whites in a different bowl until fluffy. Add 30g white sugar and continue mixing until stiff and thick.
Fold in the flour mixture, one third at a time, mixing gently with a spatula.
Spoon the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a round nozzle then pipe a thin layer over the sable breton. Bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
Allow to cool down before removing from the ring molds.

Lemon Curd:

Combine all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and place over a hot water bath.
Cook the curd for about 25 minutes, until thickened and fragrant – a thermometer should read 85C – that’s when the curd is perfectly done.
Allow to cool in the fridge for a few hours to set then spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a small round nozzle and pipe small dollops over the coconut dacquoise.

Swiss meringue:

Combine all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and place over a hot water bath. Keep over heat, mixing all the time with a whisk, until the mixture is hot, about 65C.
Remove off the water bath and begin mixing with an electric mixer until the meringue is fluffy and stiff, as well as glossy and the bowl is completely cooled down.
Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a round nozzle and pipe it over the curd.
As a final touch, brulee the meringue slightly with a blowtorch.
Serve the tartlets fresh.

Lemon Coconut Tartlets