Yield: one 9-inch tart
Recipe: 166/200
“Back to Baking”, pp. 112
I have purposely been avoiding doing this next recipe since as long as I’ve had this cookbook, which has been over a decade. I am someone who is very particular with textures and will immediately not like a dessert if the texture is unappealing to me. This was the main reason I delayed making this piña colada tart. I did not think I would enjoy pieces of pineapple with coconut amongst other things. But finally, since I had some cream cheese on hand, I decided to make this piña colada tart. Of course, I had to listen to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rubert Holmes while making it, no choice. And unfortunately I was right.
The tart was straightforward to make. Make and cook the shell first, then let cool down and prepare the filling before distributing it in the shell, no need to bake the filling. I like that. I never realized now that crushed pineapple exists, but of course, why not? The shell I had made twice before for the Vanilla Crème Brûlée Tart and for the Lemon Tart, and I had similar problems as before. I think I rolled it a bit too thick and it was too chewy, not very pleasant to eat. The filling was fun to make. I omitted the rum mainly because we didn’t have any but also because I wanted my toddler to try the tart, so I replaced it with the pineapple liquid as suggested. After waiting several hours for the tart to cool down, we finally tasted it. Since I knew I was already biased with the textures, I asked my husband to try it as well and we had similar feelings. The shell was too chewy (but that was my fault, although I don’t know how) and the filling actually tasted good, but I did not appreciate the texture at all. He didn’t mind it. So if you are not sensitive to these types of textures and know how to make a nice tart shell, this might just work out for you!
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe Sable Tart Shell (page 108), baked and cooled
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 14 oz tin crushed pineapplle, well drained
- ⅔ cup sweetened, flaked coconut
- Toasted coconut, for garnish
Directions:
- Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, rum and vanilla in a metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, and whisk the mixture by hand or with electric beaters, until it leaves a “ribbon” when the whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes.
- Add half of this warm egg micture to the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Fold the remaining half of the mixture into the cream cheese by hand.
- Fold in the pineapple and coconut. Spoon the filling into the cooled tart shell (still in the pan) and spread evenly. Chill the tart for at least 3 hours in the pan before removing the outer ring of the pan to serve. Sprinkle with toasted coconut before serving. The tart will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Happy baking!
Valerie
Valerie 