Matcha Custard Tarts
Creamy smooth matcha custard in an almond shell, topped with chocolate! Vegan, gluten free, no soy or cashews.
Ingredients
| 2 1/4 cups | 540 ml | almond meal |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | tapioca flour |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | matcha powder, or to taste (for shells) |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | unrefined coconut oil, melted and at room temperature |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | rice malt syrup (for shells; make sure it's labeled gluten free if needed) |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla extract (for shells) |
| 1 1/2 to 2 tsp | 7.5–10 ml | unsweetened almond milk (for shells) |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | unsweetened almond milk (for filling) |
| 3 tbsp | 45 ml | cornflour (cornstarch) |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | matcha powder, or to taste (for filling) |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | canned full fat coconut milk |
| 4 tbsp | 60 ml | rice malt syrup (for filling) |
| 2 1/2 tsp | 13 ml | vanilla extract (for filling) |
| — | matcha powder to sift on top, optional | |
| 40 g | vegan dark chocolate |
Instructions
FOR THE TART SHELLS:
- Mix together almond meal, tapioca flour and matcha powder into a large bowl.
- Add coconut oil, rice malt syrup and vanilla extract to the bowl and stir until just combined. Mix in 1/2 tsp of almond milk at a time, stopping when it comes together nicely as a dough. It shouldn't be too dry or too sticky.
- Divide the dough evenly into 6 balls. Spread each ball into a disc the same size as the tart pans. One at a time, place a disc into a tart pan and press along the edges and the bottom until a crust is formed. If the dough sticks to you a little, using damp hands helps with this. When you're half way through with creating the shells, preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- When they're all done, place the tarts shells on a baking tray, and bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden. If the tart shells have risen a little, press down with a spoon as soon as you take them out of the oven. Set aside to cool completely.
FOR THE MATCHA CUSTARD FILLING: 5. Off the heat, pour the almond milk into a large pot. Add the cornflour and matcha powder, whisk until smooth. I also use a small silicone spatular to press down any matcha lumps. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the custard. 6. Place the pot on medium to high heat. Make sure to stir regularly, I like to use a heat resistant silicone spatula for this. The custard will start to form first on the bottom, when you notice this happening, give it a whisk to make sure the custard stays smooth (continue to whisk now and then). When it starts to thicken, turn down the heat to low. Still stirring regularly, keep cooking until it's a thick custard consistency. 7. Tap the bottom of the pot on a bench to burst any bubbles that may have formed, before dividing the custard evenly into the tart shells. Let cool before refrigerating for a minimum of 2 hours.
FOR THE TOPPING: 8. Add the chocolate into a small saucepan on low heat, stirring regularly until just melted. Let the chocolate cool slightly. 9. Remove the tarts from the tart pans. Sift some matcha powder onto the tarts before drizzling over the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes: *Here in Australia, cornflour is the same as cornstarch. It is for thickening purposes and is white.