Petite Puna Tarts

Filling ingredients

½ cup Puna grown poha berries, pureed
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Zest of a Puna grown lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Tartlet Shell ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
½ of a Puna grown vanilla bean
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons heavy cream

Preparation

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and confectioner’s sugar.

Mix on low speed until combined.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds from the pod and add to the butter-sugar mixture.  Add egg yolks until incorporated.  Add ¾ cup flour and mix until incorporated.  Add remaining ¾ cup flour, salt and cream and mix for one minute.  Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a flattened disk.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and fit into each tartlet pan.  Prick dough with the tines of a fork.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake tartlet shells for 15 to 18 minutes.  Remove shells from pans and set aside.

Husk the Poha berries if necessary and puree in a food processor.  Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and process for 2 minutes.  Combine the puree, yolks and lemon-sugar in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 6 to 10 minutes (about 160 degrees).  Remove from heat and add salt and butter, stirring until smooth.  Strain.  Fill each tartlet shell with the poha berry curd and refrigerate to set.  Makes six 4 inch tartlets.

A Taste of Puna 2008
Misty Inouye