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
- Place flour, sugar and Q.B.B. Pure Ghee in a mixing bowl.
- Rub in the Q.B.B. Pure Ghee into the flour until it looks like bread crumbs.
- Lightly beat the egg yolks and add it to the flour mixture. Using a spatula, bring everything together to form a dough.
- If too dry and crumby, add the milk or cream to make a pliable and soft dough.
- Wrap in cling wrap and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes.
- 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
- 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.
- Sift in the icing sugar and cornflour and keep stirring until the mixture thickens.
- Add the beaten egg, lemon juice and vanilla essence and stir the mixture until it thickens further.
- Cool the custard well.
- In the meanwhile, roll out the chilled pastry and cut into circles with a 7cm flutter cutter.
- 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.
- Bake the tarts at 180°C for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool slightly.
- Increase oven temperature to 220°C.
- Place the custard into a piping bag and pipe into the baked tart cases.
- Brush lightly with egg yolk if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack before serving, preferably warm.