green tea tart with chocolate filled raspberries... what?

I was in charge of dessert. I haven't made a tart in a long time. One of my favorite dessert books is book of tarts by maury rubin of the city bakery. It is beautifully documented and has a tart for every season. I took 2 of his recipes, changed a couple of things and voila... the green tea tart was born.

First of all his dough is super simple to make and you can freeze it for up to a month. His step by step photos are all you need to answer any misunderstood instructions. All I'm saying is that if you have any interest in making tarts, this is a must have book. (Plus I think the tart is the new cupcake.)

The original recipe that I changed slightly was the Earl Grey Tea Pastry Cream in a Chocolate Tart (which also sounds ridiculously good). I used green tea instead of earl grey and I baked the regular tart dough instead of chocolate.

When flipping the page from this recipe there was a photo of a luscious raspberry, filled with chocolate, and I thought.. wow that would be perfect on top of the green tea tart and so....

the recipes as I adjusted them

Green Tea Pastry Cream Tart
(adapted from maury rubin's book of tarts)

2 1/2 c milk
1 TB matcha powder
4 large egg yolks
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 TB agave syrup
2 TB all purpose flour
1 TB cornstarch
1 fully baked tart shell (recipe to follow)
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted for design and filling
a handful of rasberries

1. Pour milk into small saucepan and bring to a simmer over med heat. Whisk in matcha powder and remove pan from heat. Let cool completely.

2. Place egg yolks in med bowl, add sugar and agave syrup, and whisk to combine. Whisk in flour and cornstarch. Set aside.

3. Bring milk back to a simmer. Pour 1/2 milk into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Then pour mixture back into saucepan. Cook over med heat, whisking until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil for 5 seconds, then whisk once more forcefuuly around the pan, and transfer to a med bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream and puncture several holes in it with a pairing knife. Refrigerate until cool.

4. After pastry cream has cooled, whisk it until smooth and spoon it into the tart shell. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5. Fill a small paper pastry bag with melted chocolate and decorate top of tart as you please and fill raspberries with chocolate.

Standard tart dough
(from maury rubins book of tarts)

13 tablespoons (1 stick plus 5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. Let the butter sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until malleable.

2. Place the powdered sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the pieces of butter and toss to coat. Using a paddle attachment with a standing mixer, combine the sugar and butter at medium speed, until the sugar is no longer visible.

3. Add the egg yolk and combine until no longer visible.

4. Scrape down the butter off the sides of the bowl. Add half of the flour, then begin mixing again until the dough is crumbly. Add the remaining flour and then the cream and mix until the dough forms a sticky mass.

5. Flatten the dough into a thick pancake, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours before preparing to roll out the dough.

6. Lightly butter a 9-inch pastry ring (or fluted tart pan) and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a nonstick Silpat pad. I used a rectangle shaped tart pan.

7. Once the dough has thoroughly chilled, cut it in half, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat, until you have 16 equal pieces. Work quickly with the dough so that it remains chilled. Sprinkle your work surface with a thin layer of flour. Knead the pieces of dough together until it forms one new mass and shape it into a flattened ball. Flour a rolling pin and sprinkle flour again on the work surface underneath the dough. Roll out the dough into a circle or whatever shape you are using, one-eighth-inch thick.

8. To easily transfer the dough into the ring or tart pan, fold it in half gently, then in quarters. Move the folded dough to the tart ring or pan, with the point of the dough in the center, then unfold it, gently patting the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the ring. Trim the edges so that they are flush with the top of the ring. Dock the dough with a pastry docker or prick the dough all over with a fork.

9. Put the tart pan into the freezer for 1/2 hour.

10. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the baking sheet and ring in the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the dough is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before filling.