Chef Cheryl Koh’s Pandan Coconut Tart using European cream

Tarte pâtisserie’s pastry chef Cheryl Koh, who was lauded as the Best Pastry Chef in Asia during Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’s 2016 awards, raved about European cream, saying, “It is a wonderfully versatile ingredient to work with.” 

“Right from the beginning to the end of a dessert – be it for a cream, mousse or confectionery – cream is the ingredient that helps me add to the products I make.”

One such creation is Koh’s Pandan Coconut Tart, which utilises European cream to great effect by introducing an ethereal lightness to the locally inspired dessert.

Pandan Coconut Tart
Serves 8

pie pastry
250g butter
426g cake flour
187g icing sugar
83g eggs
104g ground almonds

• Mix the butter, cake flour and icing sugar. Add the eggs and ground almonds.Mix to form a well-combined mixture. Wrap it in a sheet and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator.

coconut pastry cream
232g milk
100g fresh coconut
47g egg yolks
36g sugar
19g cornflour

• Mix the milk and fresh coconut. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy. Add the cornflour. Pour half the boiling milk on the egg yolks. In a saucepan, pour in the mixture and cook on medium heat until thick and bubbling. Continue to cook for 7 minutes, remove from heat and keep away.

coconut frangipani cake
148g butter, melted
155g sugar
148g eggs
92g dessicated coconut
92g ground almonds
31g flour
333g coconut
European cream

• Mix the melted butter and sugar. Gradually add the eggs, then the dry ingredients. Pour everything in the coconut cream.

pandan essence
150g pandan leaves
75g water

• Wash the pandan leaves. Chop them into pieces. Put them in a mixer with some water. Strain the pandan juice.

pandan cream
100g fresh coconut
350g milk
178g sugar
333g egg yolks
44g pandan essence

• Put all the ingredients in a saucepan. Gently cook until thick and smooth. Strain and let it rest.

pandan butter cream icing
74g pandan essence
308g sugar
60g water
154g egg whites
463g butter

• Cook the water and sugar at 118°C, and then make an Italian meringue with the egg whites. Let it rest. Then add the soft butter and the pandan essence.

coconut mousse
94g egg yolks
94g sugar
300g milk
6.2g gelatine
100g fresh coconut
1g sea salt
440g whipped cream

• Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy. Heat the milk and dissolve the gelatine in it. Pour the milk on the fresh coconut and sea salt. Add the egg yolk mixture and then gently incorporate the whipped cream. Pour in the mould and freeze.

assembly

• Roll out the pie pastry until it is 2mm thick. Line the mould and bake at 160°C for 20 minutes. Place the coconut frangipani cake inside followed by a layer of chilled pandan cream. Cover with coconut mousse. Using a piping bag, make a pandan cream circle. Decorate with white chocolate and dry and fresh coconut shavings.