GLUTEN-FREE VANILLA PERSIMMON TART
Thinking of a tart for dessert?
If, like us, you handily keep some pastry in the fridge or freezer then the task from thought to table is quite a bit quicker. For this pretty Vanilla Persimmon Tart we used our Revenge Almond Shortcrust Pastry that provided a nutty, crisp case.
And we matched it with the glorious, golden-hued Fuyu fruit, a variety of persimmon that can be sweetly eaten while still firm, meaning it can be simply sliced into the pastry case. (In doing so we found that the Fuyu can easily be cut with cookie cutters into fun shapes such as the heart seen below in the photo of the small tart.)
Next, all that’s required is the preparation of the vanilla seed-flecked filling and you’re ready to bake… and indulge.
Caren
VANILLA PERSIMMON TART
Serves 8
1 quantity Revenge Almond Shortcrust Pastry
200 ml pouring cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 egg yolks
70 gm caster sugar
2 medium, unblemished Fuyu persimmons
Preheat oven to 190°C.
In between two sheets of baking paper, roll out the pastry to 3mm thick. Line a 34 x 12 x 2.5cm rectangular loose-bottomed tart tin, or equivalent, with the pastry. Follow our instructions to Blind Bake the pastry.
Scald the cream and vanilla bean in a small saucepan. Set aside to infuse for 10 minutes then scrape the vanilla seeds into the cream. (Discard the bean or, better still, set it aside to dry before putting it in a jar of sugar to create vanilla sugar.)
In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick.
Reheat the cream to just under the boil then stir it into the egg mixture until blended.
Pass the custard through a fine sieve into a jug.
Wipe the Fuyu persimmons, cut off the ends and slice into 2cm thick rounds.
Reduce the oven temperature to 165°C. Place a large baking tray in the oven.
Leaving the pastry case in the tart tin, place 4-5 slices of Fuyu onto the pastry case. To prevent spillage put the tin onto the baking tray in the oven before carefully pouring the custard around the slices. Try not to cover the tops of the slices but don’t worry too much as the tart will still look lovely. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just set.
Set aside in a cool place, but not the fridge, for at least 3 hours before serving. Best served on the day of baking.
TIPS:
Any leftover filling can be poured into greased ramekins and topped with persimmon pieces to create little puddings, see photo.
The Fuyu persimmon slices could be replaced with poached quince slices, fresh fig slices or with pieces of deseeded medjool dates.
After utilising the 4 egg yolks if you don’t have an immediate use for the 4 egg whites then pop them in the freezer.