These mouthwatering Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts are summer stuffed into bite-size sweet pastry, filled with fresh tangy curd and topped with a dreamy mousse!
These little sweet pastry cups of sunshine are simply mouthwatering! If you don't make these Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts at least once, we can no longer be friends. Seriously, I am fickle like that and apparently the world's biggest procrastinator.
Is a teaser post on Instagram that is thirty-five weeks old, still a teaser? No? Didn't think so. The thing is I wasn't overly thrilled with the photos and thought I would make a few more tarts with the leftover pastry dough and do a re-shoot, as the remainder of the initial batch went to my office. Well, I made a few more, had unexpected company and that was the end of that. All gone and no new photos to show.
So here we are...thirty-five weeks late, poorly lit and over-exposed, but adorable and bursting with flavour, just the same.
Pâte sucrée was definitely one of my favourite things to make back when I was in Baking Arts and still is. I get a thrill when it turns out just as it should - light, but strong enough to hold liquid fillings without leaking, with a cookie-like crumb. YUMMMMM!
I generally make one or two large tarts, this time however, I decided that bite-size was the way to go. Five tart shells in and the expletives were spilling freely. Good quality pastry rings can get really pricey, so I only own a few this size. Making them was easy enough, having to bake separate batches each time was a real pain. In the end, these Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts were worth every impatient, expletive-filled second.
Tips for Tart Shell Success:
- Chill! I usually make it a day ahead and chill it overnight. If you are making it the same day, allow the dough to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours after mixing and an additional hour after the dough has been pressed into the tart pan.
- Avoid over-mixing. It's the difference between a tough crust and a light, buttery, crumbly texture. Over mixing will cause the gluten to develop, which may be good for bread, but bad for pâte sucrée.
- Keep it uniformed. A thin, uniformly rolled dough prevents cracks and allows for the pasty to bake and cool evenly.
- Shrinkage. (This brings to mind an episode of Seinfeld that involved George and cold water. 🙂 ) Allow for shrinkage while the dough is chilling by leaving a bit of an overhang on the edges that will be trimmed before baking.
- Soggy-less. After your tart shell has baked and while still warm, brush on a thin layer of melted chocolate to seal the deal. Check out my post on How To Keep Your Pastry Crust Crisp.
The lemon-lavender curd was most certainly the star in these Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts. I made the lavender-lemon sugar a couple days before, by simply blitzing some sugar, lemon zest and culinary lavender buds in the food processor - one teaspoon lavender to one cup sugar is a good ratio for me. I could have gone the route of a meringue topping, but if you look through my blog you'll discover my love of flavouring whipped cream. It's just so quick and easy! The lemon curd coconut mousse brought serious star-power as well, without competing with the filling. It took a mini intervention to stop me from devouring it by the spoonful straight from the bowl. Paired with a little raspberry coulis and my attempt at plating, these went over splendidly with our guests.
If that special lady in your life loves citrus desserts and you are still looking for something special to make her this weekend, dare I say you have just found it!! She might also like these Lemon-Lavender Cookies, or these Mini Lemon Bundts! If the warmer weather is already upon you, how about these Limoncello Lavender Popsicles or these Boozy Blueberry Lemon Curd Popsicles? Yes? OK then, stop procrastinating and get to it! 🙂
Wishing all the mommas (and poppas who do double duty) a marvellous Mother's Day!!
Ingredients
Lavender Sugar:
- 400 grams sugar 2 cups, you won't need it all for the curd
- 1 gram dry lavender buds 2 teaspoons
- zest of 1 lemon
Pâte Sucrée: (see my post here for doubled recipe)
- 150 grams sugar ¾ cup
- 227 grams butter soft 1 cup, but cool
- 4 grams salt ¼ tablespoon
- 1 vanilla bean I use Rodelle Vanilla, scraped
- 50 grams egg 1
- 60 millilitres milk ¼ cup
- 437.5 grams pastry flour 4 ¼ cups
- 2.5 grams baking powder ¼ tablespoon
Lemon Curd:
- 113 grams butter ½ cup
- 280 grams lavender sugar 1 ½ cups
- 120 millilitre freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ cup
- zest of one lemon
- 4 eggs
- pinch of coarse salt
Lemon Curd Mousse:
- 400 millilitre can of coconut milk full fat chilled
- 250 grams lemon curd 1 cup, see recipe above
- Lavender buds to garnish
Instructions
Lavender-Lemon Sugar: (make 1 day ahead)
- Place sugar, lavender and zest in a food processor.
- Pulse a few times until combined.
- Transfer to an airtight container until ready to use.
Pate Sucree:
- Cream butter then add sugar, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Add egg until fully incorporated. Scrape down sides, if needed.
- Sift together flour and baking powder, add to butter mixture.
- Add milk and blend until smooth.
- Work dough on a floured table. Chill until needed - about 1-2 hours.
- Roll out chilled dough to about ¼ inch, use a small round pastry cutter to cut out the bases and sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut strips for the sides. Press evenly into tart rings and place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.
- Use a fork to punch holes in the bottom of the shell.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill for an additional hour.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Weight the dough with pie weights or beans and bake until golden brown - about 15 - 20 minutes depending on your oven.
- Remove from oven and brush with a thin layer of white chocolate and allow to cool. If your edges are uneven, use a microplane to shave away and smooth the edges.
Lavender-Lemon Curd:
- Cream butter and lavender sugar in a bowl.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the lemon juice, salt and zest.
- Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk continually until the mixture reaches around 170ºF.
- Remove from heat and let cool, then cover the curd, making sure the plastic touches the surface and refrigerate.
Lemon Curd Mousse:
- Chill a metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- Add coconut cream and whisk to sift peaks.
- Add in the curd and whisk to firm peaks.
- Keep chilled until ready to use.
Assembly:
- Pipe lavender-lemon curd into each shell.
- Using a French piping tip, pipe the mousse in the shape of a Hersey's kiss and sprinkle with lavender buds.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Dough may be wrapped airtight and kept in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to two months. If freezing, I like to roll it out and vacuum seal it for guaranteed freshness.
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Radhika Sheshashayee says
Beautiful!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks!!
Mica says
I gotta say the pictures turned out pretty well! Sometimes it's difficult to photograph yellow toned foods. The Pate Sucree is by far my favorite part of this recipe. I am a huge fan of fresh vanilla bean. It's a taste you can't acquire the vanilla extract. Fantastic recipe!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Yeah, I could eat pate sucre on its own and be totally satisfied! Thanks for the tip and encouragement!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Yummm these look so cute and delicious!! Wish I could try some right now...
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks!
Christine | Vermilion Roots says
These are so adorable. I bet they will be a hit!
I Sugar Coat It! says
They were!!
Razena | Tantalisemytastebuds.com says
These look amazing and since I love lemon in desserts I can imagine what these taste like... and they are perfect party dessert morsels!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Yes! They go over extremely well for entertaining.
Valentina says
These are just lovely. Pretty AND cute, and perfect for a bite-sized treat! I adore lavender and lemon together -- a perfect match.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Such a perfect match!!
Sarah says
Not only do these sound delicious but they are the perfect size! How adorable!!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
These are stunning!! I love the lavender as well, I've never baked with it before, but imagine it adds such a delicate note to these gorgeous tarts!
I Sugar Coat It! says
It can easily overpower, but the right amount and you'll want to add it to everything!
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
HA I love the reference on shrinkage to Seinfeld. Totally made me laugh! These little tartlets are gorgeous though. How could you not want one??
I Sugar Coat It! says
Love it that you got the reference!! Thanks.
Immaculate says
Your photos are really captivating and beautiful, It Just makes me want to dive it and start eating with you. Yes to coconut anytime.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you!! And think I wasn't going to use them. 🙂
Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook says
These look adorable AND delicious! And anyone that quotes Seinfeld in reference to food gets two thumbs up from me! Seriously, anyone with piping skills always impresses me since when I do it, it looks like my kids went a little crazy with play dough.
I Sugar Coat It! says
LOL! So much ridiculousness to draw from that show. Piping skills aside, along as it tastes great, you're solid!
A Canadian Foodie says
Adorable. I would love to see photos of the process - that is my thing - you say you used tart rings, yet I have never seen any this small. They are also in this post from you: https://www.isugarcoatit.com/2015/06/2-ways-to-keep-pastry-crust-crisp-sweet-tip-tuesday.html/ and I would love to know what the ring is, or the source for it.
Thank you so much.
Valerie
I Sugar Coat It! says
Sorry for the rather late response, Valerie. We had a death in the family, so I've been offline the last while. I purchase most of my bake/pastry ware directly from a Crown Custom Metals in Toronto. They will sometimes make what you need as well, if the order is worth it to them. You can find rings in all shapes and form there. Those mini ones are a real pain to work with. Vanilla Food Company also carries small rings. Regarding process shots - I'd love to provide them for most posts, but with a full-time career, I try to take process shots when and where I can. I do most of my baking in the evenings and usually the shots are horrible and my hands/gloves are covered in dough. I do plan to include a few with my next pastry post. Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment.
A Canadian Foodie says
Thank you! I was just thinking of this question the other day, and was sad to not hear back - and then you have responded with such sad news... I am sorry to hear of your loss. Sincerely. The past couple of years have been very difficult for our family loss-wise, as well, and almost everything gets put on hold. Hang in there. I am touched you got to me. Thank you so much. I will look to see if they have a website, but if not, will call to place my order with them as I ADORE this side. I watch movies while I pat the dough in my tiny molds, so completely understand they will be a pain to work with - but, fun for me to use, too! I gather I just ask for the smallest tart or pie ring they make if they are not on their website? I am excited about this find. Sincerely thrilled, actually.
Sincerely,
Valerie
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks for your kind words. The website is not at all user-friendly, best to make the trek there, if you can. Vanilla Food Company would be online. Would love to hear how you make out.
A Canadian Foodie says
I live in Edmonton Alberta so a trip is out of the question. I called and "guessed" that your little ring was 1/5 inches. They have the 2 inch rings in stock, but nothing smaller - and I would have to make a special order through a food supplier here if I can't drop by there is what the fellow on the phone said. SO, not lucky, apparently.
🙂
Valerie
I Sugar Coat It! says
Ah, I had not realized that. Sorry, I thought I provided the size - they were 1 3/4". Looks like Vanilla Food Company has some in stock here. They offer flat rate shipping across Canada!
A Canadian Foodie says
I meant 1 and 1/2 was my guess for the size of yours. I am so appreciative of your help. Believe me, it isn't easy to find these kinds of things in the west, at least. We now have Duchess Bakeshop, but before, the only place I could buy most of these kinds of items was when I traveled to France. They weren't even on line... so truly grateful for your help, as a google search didn't find them. Also, when I called the first place, the 2 inch by 2 inch were 11.95 each - so was delighted to see them at the Vanilla Food Company for around 4 dollars each...I will definitely order some, but may wait a smidge to be sure yours were only 3/4 inches high. They looked taller. Otherwise, I will try the food suppliers here, as Crown Custom Metals suggested.
🙂
Happy Canada Day!
Valerie
I Sugar Coat It! says
So pleased that I could assist, Valerie! Yes, that's the size that I have. Would love to see what you bake up. Happy baking/pastry-ing! 🙂
A Canadian Foodie says
My order is in. Cannot wait. Thank you for your patience and help. You are a doll!
Valerie
A Canadian Foodie says
Dear Jacqueline
It was your stunning Lemon Lavender Coconut Mousse Mini Tarts that had me swooning. I am a French Tart and a pastry fan. When I saw the image of this tart, my eyes literally did "bug out". Thank you so much for letting me know where to get the rings! They were not in stock, but arrived just prior to the holiday season! Took a long while, but I was thrilled. I made the sweetest little closed miniature meat pies and open meat tarts for the holidays and will most definitely be having a great deal more fun with these little ditties. I saw your Cara Curd this past week, and assume that the muffin pan you used for it is also from the same place as the shape of the mold is very different than the standard pan... Lucky you to shop where there are so many more suppliers than Edmonton, but I want you to know I am grateful you do, so I can see them and order online! Thank you, Jacqueline! I have linked to this post in mine. Happy 2017! Valerie
PS - now I understand my readers - I could not rate this recipe using the stars, at all. I tried, and nothing happens.I hear that from my readers too often.
Marcia says
Where can I get a tart mould like that one?
Thank you. Looks good.
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
I got mine at a local supply place, but you can check online pastry suppliers or even Amazon.