Each tart is sold at $4+ here and being someone that won't pay for such price, I decided I need make this myself and when is the best time, when Woolies is selling each block of Philly at $2.
Few notes before proceeding to the recipe:
* try to use mould that's smooth and not the traditional egg tart mould, it is easier to remove.
* although a thinner pastry will get you more of the cheese and taste better, but it breaks easily too. So make a thicker pastry.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
- 160g plain flour
- 35g icing sugar
- 10g ground almond
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 90g unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 XL egg yolks
Pastry:
- 150g cream cheese
- 70g mascarpone cheese
- 40g salted butter
- 70g cream
- 20g evaporated milk
- 40g sugar
- 1 XL egg
- 10g cornflour
- 2tbsp lemon juice
- a pinch of salt
Egg Wash
- 1tsp milk
- 1 xl egg yolk
Methods:
- For the pastry, first combine the flour, ground almond, salt and icing sugar together in a bowl.
- Add in butter and rub with fingertips till the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Add in egg yolk and mix till dough form. Wrap in cling wrap or in a ziplock bag, store in fridge to rest for 15mins.
- Next take enough to press over the mould. Remember note 2, try to be generous and not use too little otherwise the pastry will crumble and makes it very hard to unmould.
- Prick the base and do with more mould till all pastry used up. Bake at 160c for 10mins. Set aside to cool.
- For the filling, place the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, butter, evaporated milk, sugar and cream in a bowl. Place the bowl over a water bath and stir till the mixture mix well and smooth.
- Add in the egg cornflour, lemon juice and salt and whisk till even.
- Transfer the mixture into a piping bag. Pipe it into the bake and cool tartlets. Set to chill in the fridge for 30mins.
- Brush the top of the tarts with the egg wash.
- Bake the tarts using top grill fan function for 6-8mins. Do keep an eye to prevent the top from burning. If required, at 5-6mins, give the tray a turn.
