Baked Cheese Tart

 

Cheese tarts are very popular these days, especially among the youth. These tarts are generally expensive to buy. So, the best and economical way is to bake them for yourself and your friends. The recipe I am sharing makes a plain, basic cheese tart. You can add your own flavours and make variations of the tart, e.g. pandan cheese tart, Yuzu cheese tart etc.

Preparation time: 60 minutes

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 12 small tarts

TO MAKE TART PASTRY

150 g plain flour, sifted

30 g caster sugar + pinch of fine salt

70 g Q.B.B. Pure Ghee, cold and cut into small pieces

2 egg yolks, chilled

1-2 tablespoons cold evaporated milk or cream

METHOD

1. Place flour, sugar and Q.B.B. Pure Ghee in a mixing bowl.
2. Rub in the Q.B.B. Pure Ghee into the flour until it looks like bread crumbs.
3. Lightly beat the egg yolks and add it to the flour mixture. Using a spatula, bring everything together to form a dough.
4. If too dry and crumby, add the milk or cream to make a pliable and soft dough.
5. Wrap in cling wrap and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes.
6. In the meanwhile, prepare the Cheese Custard.

TO MAKE CHEESE CUSTARD

180 g cream cheese

60 g mascarpone cheese

30 g grated parmesan cheese

40 g Q.B.B. Pure Ghee + ¼ teaspoon fine salt

120 g milk

40 g icing sugar

10 g cornflour

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 egg yolks, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and strained

METHOD

1. Place the cheeses, Q.B.B. Pure Ghee and milk into a double boiler. Turn on heat and keep stirring the cheese until it is melted.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and cornflour and keep stirring until the mixture thickens.
3. Add the beaten egg, lemon juice and vanilla essence and stir the mixture until it thickens further.
4. Cool the custard well.
5. In the meanwhile, roll out the chilled pastry and cut into circles with a 7cm flutter cutter.
6. Place the dough into small tart or muffin tins. Using your fingertips, press the dough into the tart tin. Use a fork to poke holes at the base of the tart case.
7. Bake the tarts at 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool slightly.
8. Increase oven temperature to 220°C.
9. Place the custard into a piping bag and pipe into the baked tart cases.
10. Brush lightly with egg yolk if desired.
11. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
12. Cool on a wire rack before serving, preferably warm.