Pretty meringue-topped Banana-Cream Tarts are a delicious treat at tea time.
Banana-Cream Tarts
2014-09-26 20:09:16
Yield: 9 tarts • Preparation: 30 minutes • Bake: 12 to 15 minutes • Cook: 5 minutes • Cool: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups finely processed vanilla-wafer crumbs
- ½ cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 5 egg whites, divided
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 18 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon banana extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 bananas, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place 9 (3¾-inch) tart pans with removable bottoms on a baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, combine vanilla-wafer crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter, stirring well. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg white until frothy. Add to crumb mixture, stirring until mixture is uniformly moist.
- Divide crumb mixture evenly among tart pans, pressing and packing firmly and uniformly.
- Bake until golden brown and firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. (If tart shells will not release easily from pans, refrigerate until hardened, and gently remove from pans.)
- In a small saucepan, scald milk over medium heat. (Do not boil. Heat only until bubbles form around edges of pan.)
- In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks and ½ cup sugar, whisking until pale yellow and thick. Add cornstarch, whisking to combine.
- To temper eggs, add a small amount of hot milk to egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Slowly add remainder of milk, whisking constantly.
- Return mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture simmers, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add butter and banana extract, stirring until butter is melted and incorporated.
- Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool slightly. Refrigerate until ready to fill tart shells.
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- In another medium bowl, combine remaining 4 egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Divide diced banana evenly among tart shells. Divide pudding evenly among tart shells. Divide meringue evenly among tart shells. Using the back of a small spoon, make a decorative swirled pattern in meringue.
- Bake until meringue is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving, or store in the refrigerator and serve later in the day.
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