Macaroon Angel Tarts Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, water and extract on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl; beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Fold in the coconut. , Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove paper with cookies to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.
• Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.
• Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.
• The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add flavoring and food coloring, if desired, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.
• Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.
• Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.
• With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine coconut, egg whites, and sugar until mixture holds together when squeezed.
• Form 1 heaping tablespoon coconut mixture into a ball. Press ball into a 2-inch brioche or tartlet tin (or mini muffin cup), making a thumbprint in the center and pressing out so mixture forms a 1/4-inch-thick crust. Repeat with remaining coconut mixture. Place tins on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake crusts until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Set crusts aside until cool enough to handle. Unmold crusts onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the ganache: Place both chocolates in a heatproof bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine cream, honey, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk to make smooth.
• Strain chocolate mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl; stir in vanilla extract. Pour ganache into baked tartlet shells, spreading with a spatula to make smooth.
• Make the topping: Pour cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Scrape vanilla seeds into cream; reserve pod for another use. Whisk until soft peaks form. Top ganache with whipped cream; top with toasted shaved coconut and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cover cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or foil. In large (4-quart) glass or metal bowl, beat cake mix, 1/2 cup water and the almond extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. On medium speed, beat 1 minute, scraping bowl occasionally. Fold in coconut.
• Drop half of the mixture by teaspoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto lined cookie sheets.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Cool macaroons completely before removing from parchment paper.
• Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon cocoa into remaining mixture. Bake and cool as directed above.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter, 4 teaspoons cocoa and 4 teaspoons water over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in powdered sugar. Drizzle small amount of glaze over each cookie.

Steps:

• This decorative tart goes well with ice cream and makes a good dinner party dessert. The coconut is naturally oily, which helps to preserve the tart for a few days.
• Make the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, recipe follows, leaving to chill for 30 minutes before using.
• Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little leftover beaten egg and return to the oven for 2 minutes. If there are any little holes or cracks in the pastry, just patch it up with any leftover raw pastry before you return it to the oven. Remove from the oven and set aside in the tin while you make the filling. The pastry can be baked a day in advance and kept covered until you need it.
• For the filling: whisk the eggs, caster sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Add the desiccated coconut and the melted butter, and mix well. Pour the filling into the cooked pastry crust, and bake in the oven until it is golden brown and just set in the center, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cook's Note: Sometimes I turn the oven down to 325 degrees F, after about 30 minutes, if it has already turned a good golden brown and I don't want it any darker.
• Remove the tart from the oven, and let stand in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully removing and allowing to cool on a wire rack. Dust the tart with icing sugar to serve.
• Place the flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.
• If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag, and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in egg whites (not whipped) and almond extract until well blended. Drop by tablespoonful onto greased and floured cookie sheets.
• Bake 325F for 20 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place a shallow 23cm flan tin on a baking tray. Tip the spices, coconut and sugar into a pan with 150ml water and cook over a low heat for about 5 mins, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture doesn't catch. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the flan tin. Trim off the excess pastry, fill the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans and cook for 15 mins. Remove the beans and cook for 5 mins more so the pastry on the base of the tin is just cooked, but not brown.
• Beat the egg and melted butter into the cooled coconut mixture, then spoon into the pastry case and smooth the top. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is golden and the coconut pale golden. Serve with cream or real vanilla ice cream and some Cape gooseberries, then follow with cups of black Rooibos tea.

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally and keeping a close eye in the last 5 minutes to avoid burning. Let cool completely. Using butter, grease an 8 1/2-by-12-inch fluted rectangle or a 10-inch fluted round pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom with parchment and grease the parchment with butter.
• In a large bowl, combine the coconut, egg whites, sugar and salt; press into the prepared tart pan. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the custard: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl or a large glass measuring cup, whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks. Add sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in milk mixture until smooth. Add the 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla bean and seeds and cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, 6 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Pour custard through sieve, using a spatula to scrape it through and discarding any solids. Stir rose water into custard, if using, then pour mixture into prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the custard and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Prepare the rhubarb: In a medium pot, combine sugar, 2 cups water and the vanilla bean and seeds, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Stir in rhubarb, simmer for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
• Gently remove the rhubarb from the cooled pot, letting the syrup drip back into the pot. Top the chilled tart with the rhubarb in a decorative pattern. Lift the tart out of the rim to serve.