Polonaise Tart

Yield 8 tartelettes. Use Exoglass 3 1/6"x3/4” / 9x2cm tart ring (Shop Page). Exoglass tart ring do not need to be greased. In a food processor, blend sugar and almond. Add zest, butter, and salt; cream. Add the egg, blend to smooth and add flour and baking powder – mix to combine. Wrap up and chill until firm. Pastry can last a week in the refrigerator or kept frozen for weeks. Since that less than a third of the pastry will be used, Save leftover for more pies or cookies. Take a quarter of the pastry, work out to soften over a floured work surface and roll out into a thin 0.12’’/3 mm thick sheet and prick. Make 4.7”/12cm diameter disks. Repeat until done. Refrigerate pastry. Shape disk into tartelette – Chill tartelette and trim off excess dough. Keep refrigerated or freeze for weeks.

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Pre-bake tart shells for 20 min with pie weights; remove pie weights and bake for an additional 10 min. Set aside. Baked tart shells can be kept wrapped up at room temperature for days.

Bring to a boil and add orange blossom water and alcohol. Use at room temperature.

Soak gelatin in cold water to soften, and drain. Bring milk, one-third sugar and vanilla to a boil. Meanwhile, combine eggs with sugar and starches. Temper egg mixture with hot milk. Pour mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil whisking constantly and swiftly. Cook for 2 minutes and blend in gelatin and butter. Spread custard over a frozen baking tray lined with plastic wrap, top with plastic wrap in contact. Cool to room temperature and chill. Beat before using.

Cut brioche into large 1/2 inch/1.25cm thick slices. Cut out 2.5’’/6.5cm disks. (Save scraps for bread pudding). Spread a thin pastry cream layer (with no candied fruits) in each tart shell. Sprinkle some candied fruit if desired. Moisturize generously one side of each brioche disk, flip and place in each tart shell. Fold remaining candied fruits into the remaining custard and scoop out 1.3 ounce/40g per tart. Smooth out into dome using an off set spatula. Freeze tartelette an hour prior dipping into the marshmallow fluff.

Polonaise tart can also be finished using Italian meringue but using piping method and a spatula. Over a water-bath on medium heat (water must not touch bottom of the bowl), beat egg whites, sugar and honey to 122ºF/50ºC. Rotate bowl every so often during whisking time. Add melted gelatin and warm corn syrup; beat on high until fluffy. Use marshmallow fluff when still warm. Scoop out leftover to make extra marshmallows. Decorate polonaise tart with candied fruit dices and gold leave if desired. Serve thawed. Enjoy!