Baked Cheese Tart
When I was ten, I remember the tantalizing sweet aroma of cheese tart in the corner of a small street in Hokkaido, Japan. My family and I stood in line for hours waiting to taste the delicate treat. Let me tell you, it was definitely worth the wait! The cheese tart was gooey with a flowy, liquid-like center. It’s a combination of a crunchy, short-crust base and fluffy filling with a sweet cheesy aroma. This distinctly rich and savory, yet sweet treat was nothing like I had tasted before. I wanted to bring my memory of Japan back with me and share it with all of you. I hope you will enjoy this recipe!
Baked Cheese Tart
TIPS:
The temperature is key to handling the dough. That is why I chill the dough for an hour, so that it firms up. This makes it a lot easier to handle before rolling it out and pressing it into the tart mold.
In addition, when baking the tarts with the filling, keep an eye on the crust! You don’t want to over-bake the cheese tart and lose the gooey texture of the cheese filling. Once the top starts to brown, take it right out of the oven. I recommend serving it about 2 minutes after it comes out of the oven.
Ingredients:
The Shell:
- Softened unsalted butter (75 g)
- Powdered sugar (25 g)
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- Pinch of salt (1.5-2 g)
- Vanilla extract (4 g)
- Cake flour (100 g)
- Milk (if needed)
The Filling:
- Cream cheese 110 g
- Mascarpone cheese 100g
- Parmesan cheese (10 g)
- Fresh cream 70 g
- Milk 35g
- Powdered sugar 40g
- Corn starch 9g
- Lemon juice 7g
- 1 egg yolk + milk, to brush on top
Instructions:
The Shell:
1. Mix butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Once sugar is melted, add in egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.
2. Add in flour and salt and mix roughly to combine. Make sure not to over-mix. If the dough is dry, add milk and adjust accordingly. Wrap the dough in a zip-lock bag and keep refrigerated for 1 hour.
The Filling:
1. Combine the three cheeses, sugar and lemon juice and let it melt in bowl (bain-marie).
2. Once the mixture has melted, add corn starch and mix until smooth. Then, cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is heated and slightly thickens. This should take 2-3 minutes. (NOTE: Do not overcook this step because the filling will go in the oven. The purpose of cooking the filling now is to cook the corn starch).
3. After the mixture thickens, sift into a bowl to discard lumps.
4. Cover the mixture with a film touching the surface of the filling. Then set aside over ice water to cool.
Assemble:
1. Remove the dough from the fridge after 1 hour. Roll the dough evenly to about (4 to 5 mm thickness). Then shape your dough and fit it in a (6.5 cm) tart mold. Prick the base of the tart with a fork. Repeat this step until the dough is finished. (TIP: Place the unbaked tart shell in the fridge to firm up before baking.)
2. Blind-bake in a preheated oven at 170C (340F) for 8-9 minutes.
3. Fill the filling in a piping bag and pipe it into the shells.
4. Then brush the top with egg wash (egg yolk + milk).
5. Then bake the tart at 200C for 8-9 minutes (or until the top is slightly charred).
NOTE: If top is not browning, move to the top rack for a couple of minutes. However, make sure the crust does not burn.
Pinn Chirathivat
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