Delicious Coconut Tarts

These dainty Coconut Tarts or Baskets are a delight to the eyes and ohhh soo delicious! Today I am going to show you how to make tart shells from scratch. These tarts can be filled with a variety of goodness, including the traditional sweet coconut filling!

Ingredients

For the Tarts

• 1¾ cup (230 grams) All Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled

• ⅓ cup ( 63 grams) Powdered Sugar (Powdered White Granulated Sugar)

• ¼ tsp (2 grams) Salt

• ½ cup (113 grams) Unsalted Butter, cold & cubed

• 1 Egg, chilled

• 1 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

For the filling

• 2 ½ cups (235 grams) Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut

• ⅛ tsp Salt

• 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

• ¼ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• A dash of Pink Food Colour (or any colour of your choice)

• A dash of Green Food Colour

Method

To make the Tarts

1. In a bowl, mix the all purpose flour, powder sugar and salt.

2. Add in the chilled butter cubes and using a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour till you get a sand like texture.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, cream and vanilla extract till well blended.

4. Now add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients with the wet to bring it together.

5. Once it has almost come together, empty it on a work surface and using your hands, quickly bring it to form a soft dough.

6. Divide the dough into two portions and wrap them up in a plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight to firm up.   

7. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.

8. Work with one disk at a time. Dust the work surface with a little flour and roll out the dough to about 1/8th inch thickness.

9. We are using a 2¼” diameter tart form so we are going to use a 3¼” diameter cookie cutter to cut out disks.

10. Place the cut out disk in the tart form without stretching the dough and gently press it on the bottom and against the sides of the form. Now using a knife or your fingers, shave off any excess dough.

11. Place all the prepared tarts on a baking sheet and cover with a plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes for the dough to firm up.

12. While that is happening, roll out and make the tarts from the second disc.

13. Keep all the excess dough from both the disks to make the handles.

14. To make the handles, roll out the dough lengthwise and a little thinner than what you had rolled out for the tarts. Cut it into ¼ – ½ “ strips. Now take one strip and cut it down the center. Press one end firm to the work surface and separate the two strips. Intertwine the two strips to form a rope-like effect. Turn each strip to form into a “U” and place it on a lined baking sheet. It’s nice to make a few extra handles. Cover and place the prepared handles in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. 

15. Now take the first tray of tarts which has firmed up and using a fork press holes on the bottom of the tarts to allow the air to escape and prevent the tarts from getting air bubbles.  

16. Take a second set of empty tart forms and gently but firmly place them on top of the filled tart forms while trying to match the design of the forms.

17. Place the tarts in the preheated oven and bake for 4 minutes. Then take them out of the oven and carefully press the top empty tart down so as to bring the dough back up.

18. Now place the baking tray with the tarts back into the oven and bake for 6 minutes.

19. After 6 minutes, take them out of the oven and remove the top empty tart form. The tarts dough would have firmed up by now.  

20. Place the tarts back into the oven for 10 minutes to finish baking.

21. Once fully backed, allow the tarts to cool completely before unmolding

22. Repeat the process for the remaining tarts.

23. Now bake the firmed up  handles for 10 minutes. Once baked, allow them to cool completely.

To make the Filling

1. In a bowl add the unsweetened desiccated coconut and salt and give it a quick mix.

2. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Using a spatula fold the desiccated coconut into the condensed milk till all the desiccated coconut has got well coated with the condensed milk.

For Assembling the Coconut Baskets

1. Divide the filling into three portions. Mix a little green food colour in one, a little pink colour in the other and leave one white or you can colour it with your favourite colour if you like.

2. In the cooled tarts, add a spoonful of the pink coconut in the center. Edge it off with the green coconut to create a leaf effect. Add a few dashes of white and green coconut on the top of the baskets to form a basket of flowers with leaves.  

3. For a little glitter, add a few silver edible ball on the top.

4. Finish off the baskets by placing the handles on the top.