We have had some truly glorious weather recently (interspersed between some very wet and miserable days…); as I write this I am overlooking our back garden, which is beautifully warm and sunny, aaand horrifically overgrown…all the plants have had a sudden growth spurt and it is getting towards the point where even the dog can’t venture out any further than the patio due to the height of the weeds (he is only small). It needs some serious work doing to it; not just weeding, but leveling, digging out a couple of trees, extending the patio, laying a path, building vegetable beds, mending the fences etc. etc. I thought about starting work on it the other day, but I just couldn’t face it so baked this tropical fruit coconut tart instead which was a much more satisfying use of my time.
With the warm, sunny weather I had been craving tropical fruits, and what better way to use them than by pairing them with crisp, coconut pastry and creamy coconut milk creme patissiere? To make the coconut pastry tart base I added some coconut flour to my pastry, which not only adds a touch of coconut flavour but also makes for an extremely crisp, crunchy pastry (scroll down to the bottom of the post for a chance to win some coconut flour and other goodies). You can use desiccated coconut in place of the coconut flour if you prefer, though bear in mind that you will probably need to add less water to the pastry to bind it together (coconut flour is very absorbent); just add the water a spoonful at a time until the pastry comes together.
The coconut creme patissiere is made in exactly the same way as regular pastry cream, except that I used coconut milk in place of the usual dairy milk; it is perfectly smooth, creamy and coconutty. I topped the tart with pieces of mango, pineapple and kiwi (which I cut into star shapes using a pastry cutter – this is totally not necessary) and some passion fruit. I decided that the tart looked too yellow so scattered over some freeze dried raspberry pieces as I didn’t have any fresh raspberries but again this is not really necessary and was purely for decoration rather than taste (although some fresh raspberries on there would be tasty). The combination of delicious fresh tropical fruit, creamy coconut creme patissiere and perfectly crispy pastry is utterly divine and this tart is the perfect dessert to serve on a warm sunny day, and so much more rewarding than gardening…
Tropical Fruit Coconut Tart
Ingredients
Coconut Pastry Cream:
- 400 ml can full fat coconut milk
- 1 large egg
- 4 large egg yolks
- 40 g (1/3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 100 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Coconut Pastry:
- 200 g (1 + 2/3 cup) plain flour
- 30 g (1oz) coconut flour
- 30 g (1/3 cup) icing sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 100 g (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 3-5 tbsp ice water
To Finish:
- 1 large, ripe but firm mango diced
- 1/2 small ripe pineapple diced
- 3 kiwis peeled and sliced
- 2 passion fruit
- raspberries/freeze dried raspberries
Instructions
Pastry Cream:
-
Place the coconut milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla extract in a heat-proof bowl until smooth.
-
Gradually pour the coconut milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly then return the mixture to the saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and comes up to the boil; continue to cook for a couple more minutes while whisking to cook out the flour then pour into a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm directly on the surface then refrigerate till cold (or overnight).
Coconut Pastry:
-
Place the plain flour, coconut flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and blitz until it resembles sand. With the motor running, gradually add the ice water until it comes together into a ball. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
-
Roll out the chilled pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 25cm tart tin, trim off the excess, prick the base with a fork and place the pastry case in the freezer for 15 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
-
Line the tart case with greaseproof paper or a double layer of good quality clingfilm, going right into the corners, edges and up the sides then fill with baking beans or dried rice making sure that the sides are propped up.
-
Bake for about 25 minutes then remove the paper and beans, reduce the oven temperature to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and return the tart case to the oven for about 15 minutes more, or until golden and crisp. If the edges start to colour before the middle is done then you can cover them with strips of tin foil.
-
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes then remove the tart case from the tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. If you are making the case the day before serving the tart then keep in an airtight container once cool.
To Assemble:
-
Place the tart case on a serving platter. Beat the coconut pastry cream with a wooden spoon until smooth then spread evenly over the tart base. Scatter over the mango, pineapple and kiwi then drizzle with the passion fruit. Top with fresh or freeze dried raspberries. Best eaten on the same day as it is assembled. Keep refrigerated.
The coconut flour I used is by Goodyfull, who provide a subscription service for healthy ingredients; they are very kindly giving away 100g each of coconut flour, cacao powder and chia seeds to THREE lucky winners, just enter using the widget below for your chance to win. Goodyfull are also running an event on the 11th June in Birmingham on nutrition, exercise and overall well-being, which is aimed at people who are just starting their journey or have been on it for a while and need some guidance; if you fancy attending then you can find the details here.
Goodyfull Coconut Flour, Chia Seeds & Cacao Powder Giveaway:
– Three winners will receive the following: 100g each of coconut flour, chia seeds & cacao powder
– The giveaway open to UK residents over the age of 18 only.
– The giveaway ends on the 5th of June 2016 at 11:59:59 PM.
– Entries using an automated process or software to create bulk entries will be disqualified.
– The winner will be randomly selected, announced in the Gleam giveaway box and contacted via their provided e-mail address shortly afterwards. Please claim your prize within 4 days of being notified.
More competitions at The PrizeFinder
Hannah, this looks so good – and as it’s sunny today in London it is apt timing! I have issues with wheat – could this work with GF flour?
Also, can you post more wheat-free, GF recipes, pretty please?
Hi Sumayya, apologies for the slow reply, I’ve been having some website troubles so have been unable to log in. Do you have a favourite GF pastry recipe? If so I would swap the pastry with that as I’m not sure how well GF flour would work with the coconut flour without testing it; the pastry cream is GF already so no tweaks are needed there. Unfortunately as neither I nor my partner follow a GF diet, and the recipes that I post are what I make for us to eat, any GF recipes that I post occur “by accident” so to speak, or because I am working with a specific product.
Hi Hannah, thanks for replying.
I have not made (GF) pastry before so no favourite recipes – however, I’ll keep a look out for any GF recipes you post or anything that looks GF adaptable without waste.
I love a handful of almonds
Fruit and natural yoghurt
i like a good corner yoghurt xx
At this time of the year it’s pears
That looks beautiful. Love the combination of coconut and mango. Does it need to be eaten straightaway? I’m guessing yes.
Thanks Nicky 🙂 Yes, ideally it needs to be eaten on the day it is assembled, it still tastes good the next day (keep refrigerated) and the pastry remains quite crisp but it doesn’t look as pretty
Fresh blueberries and raspberries!
I like flax crackers with hummus or some raw chocolate.
I love nuts and eat a handful or so every day – varying them, or I have a pot of mixed nuts, dried fruits and seeds that I pick out of. I the summer I have a box in the fridge of salad, and in the winter, winter salad. I also eat a lot of fruit and am quite greedy with my favourites, like cherries & berries – fingers crossed.
I love dehydrated pineapple.
Crackers and healthy cheese
Almonds and raisins
I’m going to be traditional and say fresh fruit. I love trying new snacks but my favourite is some fresh, exotic fruit
i just love almonds or walnuts as a healthy snack
Look forward to some 90% Chocolate
I do like a handful of almonds 🙂
I love a CoYo yoghurt they are so nice
I love CoYo yoghurts they are so nice
Coconut flour banana muffins – so yummy!
Hot chocolate made with raw Cacao powder and Almond milk (sweetened with honey or date syrup).
85% dark chocolate – full of antioxidants and so delicious and satisfying you don’t need much of it.
fresh fruit plums pear bananas and mango
Mixed nuts
Porridge is my all time healthy food
Greek yoghurt
I love dried fruit and nut mixes.
Love dates and cashews
I do love a few grapes xx
Homemade kale crisps (sea salt and balsamic vinegar) – so tasty and incredibly moreish.
flapjacks
banana muesli breakfast bars
Humous, homemade banana bread!
I tend to go for nutty snacks or yoghurt.
Wow this looks good. My favourite healthy snack is fresh fruit.
i do like pecan nuts
Natural yoghurt
baked corn on the cob with garlic butter
I love fresh coconut
I love granola yoghurts 🙂 xo
Scrumptious!
I love grapes
Blueberries
Hi Hannah, is there anywhere in London/UK you recommend for buying freeze dried fruit?
Hi Sumayya, most major supermarkets sell freeze dried raspberry pieces in the cake decorating section, anything else you have to order online unfortunately 🙁
dried bananas
Almonds or banana chips.
Love Greek yoghurt with strawberries
Banana and Cherry Smush. At least that’s what we call it. It’s just frozen bananas and cherries whizzed up in the food processor with a bit of home made almond butter. It’s like ice cream!
This looks so beautiful! I love the kwikis cut into stars on top. With all the warm weather we’ve just started getting here in Boston, I’m looking forward to making this for my memorial day gathering. Thanks for sharing 🙂
My favourite healthy snack has to be a small handful of cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries!
Kiwis – I love them mixed with plain yoghurt 🙂
A little bit of melon
i like all types of fresh fruit especially mangos
buckwheat pancakes with fresh fruit!
bananas x
I love making and eating raw brownies made with dates
frozen grapes
I like to mash a banana and mix with a little peanut butter then spread on a rice cake, and in the summer i make my own all fruit lolly’s
My fave healthy treat is a nom cacao and raspberry bar 🙂
I love Coconut water but it is so expensive only have now and again for a treat 🙂
Wow, this looks amazing and sounds absolutely delicious I love anything and everything with coconut in it, and fruit! Would so love to be able to recreate your Tropical Fruit Coconut Tart!!! Thank you so much for the chance xXx
Raw chocolate truffles made with cacao powder, dates and nuts 🙂 x
Almonds
Hummus dip
coconut pieces
For Breakfast – Chia Pudding!
All sorts of nuts
Pieces of pineapples, mangos, bananas and Coconut flakes mixed together in fresh cream. If you like it more sweeter mix a bit condensed milk with that, it will be heavenly.
By the way I like the tart recipe and planning to try it soon. Thank you.
Like Kiwi fruit, when I’m lazy I will have some Pringles, I need training
I love fresh blueberries and raspberries….. That’s if my 4 year old hasn’t eaten them already. I call her my little fruit bat!!
I really like 9Bars!
I am a big fan of olives.
roasted Brussels Sprouts, sound yuk but are delivcious
Strawberries!
I enjoy organic brazil nuts as a treat or homemade yogurt with fruit
Almonds, Hummus, and berries! Thanks xx
I love dried fruit and almonds 🙂 yum
Bananas
Love a fresh fruit salad 😉
Hoummus and carrot sticks, love the stuff
Avocado with crispbread
Fruit Salads are great, but I love grazing on nuts and carrots / fruit.
Do like dried fruit 🙂
love dried apricots
At the moment for me it’s Almonds or Brazil Nuts 🙂
I love almond nods or walnuts
Cheesecake using soya cream cheese (when it can be found).
Brazil nuts and dried apricots
I love almonds. Actually all nuts.
Home made Humous & home made Pesto with vegetable sticks..yummm
Fresh fruit – especially blueberries and watermelon.
I love blueberries 🙂
Bananas! x
almonds and cashews
I love fresh pineapple, although sadly I often regret eating it as it gives me indigestion x
Nuts for me
I love to snack on mango or blueberries as my healthy snack
Strawberries and blueberries
FRUIT AND GREEK YOGHURT
Grapes
Strawberries and raspberries xx
I love a handful of nuts as a healthy treat
I really enjoy smoothie bowls!
A selection of berries x
I like banana mashed up with coconut milk powder, sounds a bit unusual but I think it’s yummy
Fruit (especially summer berries!) is my favourite healthier treat.
I love fruit, especially fruit salad 🙂
I’m on a Pcos friendly diet so my favourite treats (as I’m gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free) is a lovely chocolate cake I make with almond flour, dates and other healthier goodies. It’s a treat though, not an everyday thing, to keep insulin and blood sugar balanced.
I love my homemade healthy flapjacks, packed with fruits, nuts and seeds 😀
Frozen yogurt…delicious for beating sweet tooth cravings!!
nuts
banana, oat and cacoa pancakes
strawberries
I love fresh coconut and like to nibble chunks