This is a very simple recipe for durian tarts that will help you win over your in-laws (especially if they love eating durians). And what better time especially when the durian season is in full swing? This easy-to-follow recipe makes 18 mini durian tarts and looks really good sitting on your dining table.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Make the Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
- 180g/6oz Fine Pastry Flour (I use 00 Flour)
- 90g/3 oz French Butter (I use L’Escure)
- 1 fat pinch Ground Sea Salt (I use Maldon)
- 2 tbsp ice cold water
Method
Sift Flour and Sea salt into food processor. Cut cold butter into small pieces and put that into the food processor. Process for 20 seconds. Add ice cold water a little at a time, just enough for the dough to come together as the machine runs.The dough should come together quite quickly, so do not leave it unattended. Turn off the machine, scrape all of the dough out and form it into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for at least 2 hours.
If you prefer working with your hands instead, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then scatter the chopped butter onto the mixture. Using only the tips of your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the mixture together until it resembles fine sand (a few blobs of butter won’t ruin it!) Work quickly with minimal handling to ensure that not too much heat from the friction of your fingers is melting the butter into the flour. Add a little bit of the ice water at a time until the dough forms a ball. You might not have to use the entire amount of water, so use as little water as possible to prevent shrinkage during baking. Wrap in cling film and refrigerator at least 30 minutes, but again 2 hours would be better.
Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Scatter flour on your work surface as well as on your rolling pin. Roll the pastry to 0.2 cm thickness, turning it as you roll so that it resembles a large roundish shape. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out shapes of the dough which are slightly bigger than the size of your mini tart tins; (I use the aluminium foil mini pie containers which comes in bags of 40). Press a cut out shape of dough into a mini tart foil until it forms an even base which covers the bottom and sides of the foil. Arrange 9 mini tarts on a baking tray and bake for 7 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and cool. Repeat with the remaining tarts until done.
Whip up the Durian Cream Filling
Ingredients
- 2 Large Durians (preferably Musang King, as durian tarts taste best with this type)
- 500 ml of whipping cream or double cream
Method
Remove the flesh of the durian into a bowl. You don’t want any hard bits so as difficult as it might be, don’t scrape the sides of the seed for every last bit! Beat the flesh of the durian with a wooden spoon vigorously until it is creamy.
Whip the cream to a stiff peak with a whisk. I like to keep the cream cold before beating and refrigerate my whisk and metal bowl beforehand. This may take several minutes, but think about how wonderfully toned your arms will be, so make sure to switch sides!
Fold in half of the whipped cream into the bowl with the whipped durian flesh. Ideally you would want to spoon in 2 heaped tablespoons of the filling into each prefaced tart case; (so this is roughly about 2 durian seeds per tart if you’re obsessed with accuracy). Top each tart with 1 heaped tablespoon of whipped cream and smoothen to a peak, or pipe it on top off the durian filling for a more flourished finish, then decorate your durian tarts with a sprig of mint to simply impress your neighbours and in-laws.
