Cheese Tart 芝士撻

Tart Shells Ingredients:

• 180 gm plain flour / all-purpose flour
• 20 gm corn flour / corn starch
• 80 gm caster sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 90 gm unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1 egg
• cocoa powder, for garnish
• 1 beaten egg for egg wash

Fillings Ingredients: 

• 100 ml milk
• 40 gm caster sugar
• 150 g cream cheese, diced
• 50 g swiss cheese
• 25 g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Tart shells:

1. Sift the flours and place in a food processor. Add sugar and salt. Pulse a few times. Add the cold butter. Briefly pulse 5 to 6 times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (pic 1). If you don’t have a food processor, rub the butter into the flour mixture with your finger tips. Move quickly, otherwise the butter will melt.
2. Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add in the egg (Pic 2). Use your palm to lightly knead it into a dough on a clean surface(pic 3). Don’t over-knead it though, as you don’t want your tart crust to turn tough. Form the dough into a disc and wrap with cling film (pic 4). Refrigerate for 25 minutes. We will now prepare the cheese fillings while refrigerating the dough.

Cheese Fillings:

1. To prepare the fillings, in a small sauce pan, pour in the milk and sugar. Heat over medium heat. Add the cream cheese, swiss and parmesan cheese (pic 6). Stir constantly and cook until all the cheese is dissolved and the mixture is very smooth(Pic 7). Remove from heat and let it cool down a bit. Stir in the egg yolk(Pic 8) . Add vanilla extract. Let it cook down completely.
2. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F. 

To bake Tart Shells and to Assemble:

1. While waiting for the filling to cool down. 
2. Remove the dough from the fridge. Sprinkle some flour on the surface and roll pastry out to ½ cm thick (Pic 9).  Cut out the pastry and line the tart tins (pic 10). Use your thumbs to press evenly, starting from bottom up to the sides. Prick the base with a fork(Pic 11). Line with baking paper and place pastry beads or uncooked rice or beans on top.    
3. Bake the pastry shells in the preheat oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges turn brown(Pic 12). Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
4. Spoon the fillings into the tart shells (Or use piping bag) (Pic 14) . 
5. Brush egg wash on top of the fillings (Pic 15). Then bake in the preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes (Pic 16). Remove the tarts from the oven and place them on a wire rack for ½ minute. Remove from the tins. Serve hot. Sprinkle cocoa powder if desired. The leftovers can be refrigerated in an air-tight container after completely cooled down. Reheat them in a low-temperature oven.

      

Recipe adapted from: Christine's Recipes