Banoffee Tarts

Banoffee Tarts

by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra

Prep. time : 40 minutes

Cook time : 25 minutes

Ready in 65 minutes plus cooling

Level : Advanced

INGREDIENTS

Almond Shortcrust Pastry:

• All purpose flour 200g (7oz)
• Almond flour 20g (0.7oz)
• Powdered sugar 50g (1.8oz)
• Butter 125g (4.4oz)
• Vanilla powder
• Egg yolks 30g (1oz or 2 small egg yolks)

• Sugar 150g (5.3oz)
• Whipping cream 75g (2.6oz)
• Butter 40g (1.4oz)
• Vanilla powder

• Milk chocolate 100g (3.5oz)
• Cream 35% 55g (2oz)
• Butter 30g (1oz)

• White chocolate 70g (2.5oz)
• Gelatin 3g (1.5 sheets)
• Cream 35% 250g (8.8oz)
• Glucose syrup 10g (2Tsp)
• Vanilla powder

• Cocoa powder
• Dark chocolate shavings

1. To make shortcrust pastry place sifted flour into a large bowl. Add sifted almond flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla powder, and stir with a whisk. Then, add cold butter cut in cubes, and rub the dry ingredients into the butter with your fingertips until you get crumbly mixture. Add egg yolks and make the dough. Wrap it in plastic foil and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
2. Place one piece of parchment paper onto the counter and put one half of the dough onto it. First press it with your fingers to flatten it a bit. Then, put another piece of parchment paper onto the dough and press it to stick to it. Roll out the dough to 3mm (1/8″) thickness using an adjustable rolling pin. Roll from the center towards one end, at the same time holding the opposite side of the paper with your hand, so the paper doesn’t slide or wrinkle. Put everything in the freezer for about 20 minutes to chill. Repeat the procedure with remaining pastry.
3. When the pastry is chilled, cut approximately 4cm (about 1.5″) wide, and approximately 28cm (11″) long strips for the sides of your tarts using a pizza wheel. Put the pastry in the fridge.
4. Use 7cmx7cm (3″x3″) square perforated tart rings. Cut out squares for the bottom of oury tarts. Your squares need to be about 6mm (1/4″) smaller than the tart rings so trim them using your 6.4cmx6.4cm (2.5″x2.5″) template that you can make out of paper. First line the sides of your tarts with pastry strips. Then, insert the pastry squares into the molds and smooth the interior with your fingers. Remove the excess pastry from the sides of the tart using a small knife, and then put everything in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
5. Before baking dock the bottom of your tarts with a fork. Then, bake them at 170°C (340°F) for about 12-15 minutes. When they are done, brush them with egg wash. Put them back in the oven for another 2 minutes, and then leave them to cool down completely.
6. To make soft caramel combine sugar with enough water to cover the sugar in a large saucepan. Cook the syrup until it reaches light golden color, and at that moment you can start warming up the cream with vanilla powder. When your caramel reaches dark amber color, the cream should be boiling hot. Remove caramel from the stove and carefully pour hot cream into the caramel. The caramel will release lots of steam and the boiling mixture will quickly rise, so be extremely careful in order to avoid the burns. Add butter, and gently stir until combined. Pour the hot caramel into the cooled tart shells until you cover their bottom, and leave them to cool completely before you go to the next step.
7. Arrange sliced bananas onto the set caramel.
8. To make milk chocolate ganache melt milk chocolate in the microwave. Put the cream into another bowl, and heat it in the microwave. Gradually pour hot cream into melted chocolate, and stir until you get smooth and glossy ganache. Add softened butter, and stir until it melts. Pour ganache immediately over the bananas and leave tarts in the fridge to set.
9. To make white chocolate whipped ganache soak gelatin in cold water. As soon as the gelatin softens take it out and squeeze to get rid of the excess water. Place cream into a bowl, add glucose syrup and vanilla powder. Heat this mixture in the microwave. Then, add soaked gelatin and stir until it melts. Put white chocolate into a bowl, and strain hot cream into the chocolate. Blend this with immersion blender until the mixture becomes uniform. Cover the mixture with cling film, and leave it in the fridge overnight.
10. To finish off white chocolate whipped ganache put it into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until it becomes pipeable, but it should still be smooth.
11. Put the ganache into a piping bag fitted with star tip and top the tarts with it. Sprinkle some cocoa powder and dark chocolate shavings on the top.
12. There, your delicious banoffee tarts are done! Enjoy!

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