Coffee Cream Tart in a Cocoa-Espresso Crust

Coffee Cream Tart in a Cocoa-Espresso Crust

from the Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook by Mary Cech & Jennie Schacht

cocoa-espresso crust:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or very finely ground espresso-roast coffee beans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

coffee cream filling:

1 1/2 cup whole coffee beans
1 cup heavy cream
One 5-ounce can (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) evaporated milk
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 small (4-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks

This and many other wonderful
recipes may be found in
The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook
by Mary Cech and Jennie Schacht
from Chronicle Books

Coffee-infused custard and espresso-laced pastry deliver a powerful coffee punch. If you are sensitive to caffeine, substitute decaffeinated coffee in the filling, crust, or both. Evaporated milk, not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk, makes the custard extra-creamy.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

To prepare the crust: Using a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, espresso powder, and salt at medium speed until creamy. Add the egg and mix until well blended, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. At low speed, add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until the dough comes together around the beaters. (Alternatively, use a food processor.)

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll it with a floured rolling pin into a 10-inch circle, moving the dough frequently and adding fiour as needed. Use a flat, rimless baking sheet to transfer the pastry to a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough firmly into the pan, patching any tears with dough scraps. Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Set the crust aside, leaving the oven on.

To prepare the filling: Use the bottom of a heavy skillet to crack the coffee beans into large pieces. Transfer the cracked beans to a medium saucepan and stir in the cream, evaporated milk, and brown sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream and add the pod. Heat the cream mixture over high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is very hot but not boiling. Reduce the heat as low as possible, stir well, cover, and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Cool the mixture until it is near room temperature.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. Whisk the whole egg and egg yolks in a small bowl, then whisk them into the cooled coffee cream. Strain the filling into the crust.

Bake the tart on a baking sheet until the filling begins to puff around the edges and is softly set but jiggles in the center when you shake the pan, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and let cool, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart ring, transfer the tart to a serving platter, and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. To avoid condensation, wait until the tart is completely cold before covering with plastic film.

makes 10 servings