How's November treating you so far ?
Me ? Not so kindly *sigh* I'm a bit under the weather right now , the coughing fit that just won't stop !$#@*% ugh !
But that didn't stop me from enjoying some of these pretty drool-worthy goodies ! Ha !
Hey , I'm not mean , I donated some to Meanie !
These mousse tarts look pretty complicated to make , right ? Not ! Just an extra step by using a dome-shaped silicon moulds to create these sweet-looking tarts . Unlike some mousse tarts that uses mousse rings and easier to remove after chilling in the fridge , these tarts need to freeze first until solid so that you can easily remove each piece . You're actually looking at the tarts that have been removed after 2 hours and 15 minutes of freezing , you can see that most of them are not neat and smooth . So , have patience and freeze at least for 4 hours ! Remember , Rome wasn't built in a day !
Making these tarts though can be time-consuming , you need to make the cookie crust , the strawberry puree to make the jelly and the mousse itself which is a combination of thin custard , Swiss meringue and whipped cream . On Swiss meringue , you can just make a regular meringue for this recipe but I was a bit under the weather when I made these tarts and I don't want to eat raw egg thus this type of meringue .
Time-consuming aside , these pretty-looking tarts are so worth it !
Cough ! Cough !
Darn it !
Matcha cookie crust , recipe adapted here
Makes 6 tarts plus 1 tart using a stainless steel mousse ring
Makes 6 tarts plus 1 tart using a stainless steel mousse ring
50 grams icing sugar
30 grams almond powder
8 grams green tea powder
90 grams cake flour
60 grams unsalted butter , cubed and cold
1 egg yolk
* Sift icing sugar , almond powder , green tea , and cake flour into a mixing bowl , tip in lumps that sits on the sieve into the bowl . Add in the butter and use fingertips to mix ingredients together until it resembles a coarse breadcrumbs . Add in the yolk and use a spatula to mix until dough is cohesive . Knead dough gently 4 times and form into a smooth ball . Flatten dough a bit then wrap it with plastic wrap . Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour preferably , overnight .
* Take out dough from the fridge , let dough soften a bit before rolling between 2 sheets of floured plastic wrap . Roll dough into 3 mm thick , cut out seven 7-cm circle and cut the rest with a small flower-shaped cookie cutter . Transfer each piece on a silicon-lined baking sheet . Freeze for at least 20 minutes before baking .
* Preheat oven to 180ºC . Bake for 10 to 14 minutes . The ones in the photo below are over-baked by almost 2 minutes . Cool cookies on a wire rack then place in an airtight container until needed . Make this a day ahead . This recipe is suitable for an 18-cm / 7-inches tart , possibly with scraps .
Matcha mousse , recipe adapted here
5 grams gelatin sheet
100 grams milk
7 grams matcha powder
1 yolk
1 egg white
60 grams caster sugar , divided
100 grams whipping cream
* Prepare a 6-cavity silicone mousse pan ( 7-cm diameter and 4.5 depth ) plus 1 mousse ring
* Prepare a 6-cavity silicone mousse pan ( 7-cm diameter and 4.5 depth ) plus 1 mousse ring
* Soak gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes .
* Pour milk in a small saucepan and add in the matcha powder , whisk to break up lumps . Turn heat to low and heat the mixture , don't boil .
* In a small bowl , whisk together the yolk and 30 grams of the caster sugar until mixture is pale and fluffy . Pour the warm matcha milk mixture gradually into the yolk mixture mixing as you pour to prevent curdling . Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until you'll have a thin custard , about 12 minutes or until temperature has reached 85ºC . Turn off heat , squeeze off excess water from soften gelatin and add in to the hot custard , stir until gelatin is dissolved completely . Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and let cool to room temperature .
* To make the meringue : In a mixing bowl , whisk together the egg white and the remaining 30 grams of caster sugar . Place bowl on top of the pot with barely simmering water , whisk until sugar is dissolved completely . Take out bowl from the heat and beat the mixture with an electric beater until stiff peaks form , set aside .
* Beat cream until soft peaks form , set aside .
* When the matcha custard has cooled , add in the cream and mix until well combined . Fold in the meringue and mix well .
* Pour mixture into a 6-cavity silicon mould , leaving a space for the jelly . Chill in the fridge until set .
Strawberry puree
Yield : 180 grams
375 grams frozen strawberries
60 grams sugar
1 tsp calamansi juice
1 tsp strawberry paste
* Place strawberries , sugar and juice into a small saucepan . Turn heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes until mixture thickens and the berries are very soft . Strain mixture into a bowl , using a spoon to push strawberries against the sieve , extracting as much liquid as you can . Stir in 1 tsp strawberry paste , set aside to cool then chill in the fridge until needed . Make this a day ahead .
Strawberry jelly , recipe adapted here
5 grams gelatin sheet
100 grams strawberry puree
40 grams caster sugar
40 grams drinking water
40 grams drinking water
* Soak gelatin in a cold water until soft for 10 minutes .
* Combine the puree , sugar and water in a small saucepan , turn heat to medium and stir until sugar is dissolved , 2 minutes . Turn off heat , squeeze off excess water from the soften gelatin then add in to puree mixture , stir until gelatin is dissolved completely . Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature .
* When jelly has cooled , pour on the top of the chilled matcha mousse . Let set in the fridge , about 20 minutes or so before putting the mould in the freezer . Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight .
To assemble the tarts :
* Take out mould from the freezer , gently remove each mousse from the cavity and place each on top of the prepared matcha cookie crust .
* Thaw tarts in fridge before serving , at least 1 hour .
To serve :
6 flower-shaped matcha cookies
6 Pocky midi-matcha
some Nutella , to keep the decorations on top of the mousse from sliding / falling off
* Dab a bit of Nutella at the bottom one cookie , place it on top of the mousse then spread another bit of Nutella on one side of the Pocky and gently press on top of the cookie . Repeat with the rest .
* Take photos , eat and enjoy !!!
* When jelly has cooled , pour on the top of the chilled matcha mousse . Let set in the fridge , about 20 minutes or so before putting the mould in the freezer . Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight .
To assemble the tarts :
* Take out mould from the freezer , gently remove each mousse from the cavity and place each on top of the prepared matcha cookie crust .
* Thaw tarts in fridge before serving , at least 1 hour .
To serve :
6 flower-shaped matcha cookies
6 Pocky midi-matcha
some Nutella , to keep the decorations on top of the mousse from sliding / falling off
* Dab a bit of Nutella at the bottom one cookie , place it on top of the mousse then spread another bit of Nutella on one side of the Pocky and gently press on top of the cookie . Repeat with the rest .
* Take photos , eat and enjoy !!!