Best Baked Coconut Tarts Recipes

CARIBBEAN COCONUT TART

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry as directed: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and grated orange peel.
• With a pastry blender, cut in butter until fine particles form.
• Add 1 lightly beaten egg and stir with a fork until well blended; work with your hands until dough holds together in a ball. Divide into thirds.
• Set aside 1/3 of the pastry for lattice strips.
• On a lightly floured waxed paper, roll out the other 2/3 to a 12-inch circle. Use the paper to lift and gently turn pastry into a 10 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom (or 10-inch pie pan).
• Shape to bottom and sides of pan; trim excess from top edge of tart pan (or away from rim of pie pan).
• Bake in a 325*F oven for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, divide remaining pastry into 10 pieces; on a lightly floured board roll each into a 10 to 12 inch rope. Cover and refrigerate while mixing filling.
• Filling: In a bowl lightly beat the eggs, then stir in sugar, salt and flour. Add coconut, orange juice and melted butter; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.
• Criss-cross ropes of dough on top of filling. Trim and press ends to edges of pastry. Return to a 325* oven and bake until crust is golden brown and center is set, about 40 minutes.
• Warm the jelly or jam until melted and carefully brush it over top of hot tart. Cool completely, as long as 24 hours, then remove sides of pan and cut tart in wedges.

BAKED COCONUT TARTS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375.
• 2. Working on a well floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.
• 3. Cut out six 6 inch x 4 inch rectangles of dough a place them in the pans, using your fingers to gently press dough into bottom and up sides. Trim excess edges of dough, roll into ball, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for future use.
• 4. Place two tablespoons of coconut cream in each pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Decorate top of each tart with 1 Tbsp. coconut flakes and serve. The tarts can be stored in sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• 5. Coconut Cream: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 2/3 cup unsweetened grated coconut 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract 1 t. dark rum Put butter in heatproof bowl. Set bowl over pan of gently simmering water until butter is melted. Remove bowl from pan. Whisk sugar into bowl of melted butter. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking them constantly so they don't become cooked. Whisk until mixture is well blended. Mix in coconut, vanilla extract and rum. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. The coconut cream can be kept tightly covered in refrigerator for up to two days. You can use toasted coconut for a nuttier flavor, but stick to unsweetened grated coconut for recipes with other dominant flavors. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
• 6. Perfect Pie Dough: 2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (8 oz) 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 egg 1 T. cold water 1/2 t. salt 2 1/2 cups flour Put butter and powdered sugar in food processor fitted with metal blade. On pulse setting, mix for two minutes. Add egg, water, and salt and pulse for another two minutes, until mixture is smooth. Add flour gradually. Pulse for another minute, until mixture forms dough. Remove ball of dough from food processor, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before use. Well wrapped, this dough can be stored in freezer for up to two months and thawed in refrigerator. This is a great dough for any pie. It is especially important not to overwork the dough while preparing it. Make sure that all your ingredients are cold and turn off the food processor after each step.

COCONUT CREAM TARTS

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks to lowest and lower-middle positions, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 48 mini-muffin cups with vegetable cooking spray.
• Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Working in 4 batches, lay 12 cut egg roll wrap squares on work surface. Brush wrappers with melted butter on both sides, and roll each piece in the graham cracker mixture to coat, shaking off excess. Use fingers to fit wrappers in prepared muffin tins to form a cup.
• Place 2 muffin tins each on oven racks and bake, switching tin positions after 10 minutes, until golden and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Immediately remove tarts from tins and place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining wraps. (Cooled tart shells can be stored in an airtight tin for up to 1 week.)
• Scatter coconut in an 8-inch baking pan. Bake on lower-middle rack, stirring every 5 minutes until evenly golden brown, about 15 minutes. For the filling, whisk cornstarch and remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk in yolks, immediately followed by the milks. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently at first, then constantly as mixture starts to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Stir in vanilla, remaining 2 Tbs. of butter and 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut. Put plastic wrap directly over the surface to prevent a skin from forming, let cool, then refrigerate. (Filling can be refrigerated up to 2 days.)
• When ready to assemble, arrange tart shells on a serving tray. Spoon a tablespoon of filling into each shell, sprinkle with toasted coconut, and serve.