Afternoon tea on MS Marina

Tartlet dough:
1 ¾ c. unbleached flour
¾ c. plus 1 T. powdered sugar
¼ c. plus 1 T. hazelnut flour
Pinch of salt
11 T. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pastry cream:
3 large egg yolks
½ c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar
¼ c. cornstarch
2 c. whole milk
4 T. unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Roasted pineapple:
1 small pineapple
¼ c. granulated sugar
Apricot glaze (need ¾ c.)
Apricot jelly or strained apricot jam (I actually used mango conserve

Tartlet dough:
Stir together flour, sugar, hazelnut flour and salt, set aside.  In electric mixer with whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until smooth.  Add the egg and continue to whip until incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla.  If the mixture looks broken, whisk in 1 to 2 T. flour to bring together.
Switch to the paddle attachment.  Add the flour mixture in two or three additions on medium-low speed.  Mix until smooth.  (Dough will be sticky).  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours (overnight is better).  (Dough can be frozen at this point.  Thaw in refrigerator before using.)
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut in half.  Roll out half of the dough to 1/8” thick and cut out rounds to fit your molds (can bake in muffin pans).  Transfer rounds to the molds (buttered, if not silicone), pressing dough into corners.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Refrigerate the lined molds for at least 30 minutes (could be overnight).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prick the bottom of each pastry with a fork and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from molds to finish cooling directly on rack.  Can be stored air-tight overnight or frozen.
Pastry cream:
Prepare an ice bath, place a medium bowl over it and a fine mesh strainer over the bowl.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 c. plus 2 T. (6 T.) sugar until thoroughly combined and pale.  Whisk in cornstarch.  Combine milk and remaining ¼ c. sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan.  Remove from the heat and slowly add to the egg mixture while whisking continuously.  Return to saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 3 minutes).  Remove from the heat and pour through the strainer into the bowl in the ice bath.  Let the mixture cool to 120 degrees F. to 140 degrees F.  Whisk in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, then the vanilla.  Continue to whisk until the mixture is completely smooth.  Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
Roasted pineapple:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut the flesh of a fresh pineapple into a ¼” dice.  Toss the diced pineapple with the ¼ c. sugar, adding more sugar to taste.  Spread on a sheet pan lined with a Silpat.  Roast about 20 minutes.  Pineapple should be completely tender but not browned or caramelized.  Transfer pineapple and its liquid to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Apricot glaze:
Microwave jelly or jam just enough to loosen, adding water if needed to make a brushable consistency.  Brush 1 ½ tsp. of glaze on each tartlet.
Assembly:
Spread about 1 T. of pastry cream in each prebaked tartlet shell.  Drain  the pineapple, reserving liquid for another use.  Dry the pineapple and arrange about 1 T. on top of the pastry cream in each shell.  Brush with the apricot glaze.

Previous recipe
Return to menu