Calamansi brulee tart with diy matcha chocolate ganache layer

When life gives you calamansi ? Make some refreshing calamansi juice ?!

Nah , make some calamansi tarts lol 

Calamansi is the local version of lime or lemon and back home in the Philippines , in Visayas region , we called it calamonding . We usually use it to season fish , chicken , pork and beef . It is also widely use as a condiment in dishes such as arroz caldo (congee ) , pancit canton or bihon or added to soy sauce as a dipping sauce . Of course , it is just delicious as a refreshing drink , healthy , too , that is , if I don't add too much sugar !

These tarts may look a bit too time consuming to make but once you get past making the pate sucree , it will be a breeze .

The pate sucree recipe below will fit in an 18-cm round tart pan and the curd recipe will nicely fill four 6-mm pastry rings . I doubled the recipe of the pastry dough so as curd . Don't throw the scraps , use a cookie cutter or just cut it with a knife and bake them , they taste really , really good ( see the last 2 photos below ) ! The diy matcha chocolate ganache is optional so as the caramelized top but if you have time in your hands , make them . The contrast of each layers is just delicious !

If you only want to try the calamansi curd , really great on its own or as a bread spread , use less butter and no need to add gelatin  and also cook longer . The recipe below will yield about 190 grams , less if you reduce the butter .

If you love lemon tart , you'll gonna swoon over this version ! 

Recipe adapted from washoku guide

Pate sucree : 

1 grams fine sea salt 

50 grams icing sugar

30 grams ground pistachios 

110 grams cake flour

60 grams unsalted butter , softened 

1 egg yolk

* In a mixing bowl , sift in the salt , sugar , pistachios and cake flour ; if there are some lumps of nuts that sit on the sieve , tip it into the bowl . Add in the butter and use a spatula or your fingers to mix everything together . Add in the yolk , use the spatula and mix until just combined . Knead gently , about 4 times and pat dough into a small rectangle . Wrap in a  plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour .

* Preheat oven to 180ºC .

* Place dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper or you can lightly flour the work surface , roll the pastry dough into 3 mm thick . Use a round pastry cutter to cut out circles . Press dough into a lightly-buttered tart tin , trim overhang and use the tines of the fork to poke holes all over the dough . I doubled the recipe and made four 8-cm and four 7-cm tarts . Don't throw the scraps .

* Place tins in the freezer for about 10 minutes to harden a bit before lining the tarts with small round parchment then fill each tin with dried beans or pie weights . 

* Bake for 15 minutes , take out tins from oven and carefully take out the beans . Return tins into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until tarts are lightly golden .

* Roll scraps into 3 mm thick , cut out into desired shape , chill in the fridge until needed . Bake for 12 minutes . 

* Place tins on a wire rack and let cool completely .

* Remove tart cases from the tins . Spread 10 grams of ganache into 6 tart cases and leave 2 pieces as they are ,  set aside .

Diy matcha white chocolate ganache : optional 

80 grams white chocolate chips
15 grams cream
1 teaspoon matcha powder

* Place chocolate and cream in a bowl and place it on top of a small saucepan with barely simmering water . Stir until chocolate starts to melt , take out bowl from the heat . Continue stirring until mixture is smooth , sift in matcha powder and stir until well combined . Set aside .

Calamansi curd : Makes about 190 grams 

55 grams calamansi juice
60 grams vanilla sugar
50 grams unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 grams gelatin sheet

* Soak gelatin in ice water for 10 minutes .

* In a small saucepan , place juice , sugar and butter . Cook over medium heat until butter is melted .

* In a small bowl , whisk egg . Gradually pour the calamansi juice mixture into the whisked egg , whisking vigorously as you pour . Put back mixture into the saucepan and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes until it thickens , turn off heat . Take out gelatin from the ice water and squeeze gently to remove excess water . Add gelatin to the curd and mix thoroughly until dissolved . Strain curd into a bowl and place bowl into an ice water bath . Stir until it cools completely . Once cooled , immediately pour calamansi curd into the tart cases . Chill in the fridge until set , about an hour .

Caramelized topping : optional 

granulated sugar
kitchen torch

* Sprinkle sugar on top of each tart , caramelized top with torch . Serve immediately .