Vegan Mango Tarts with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF and prepare your tartlet pans. If they do not have removable bottoms place two or more strips of parchment, crossed, in each pan. These can be used as handles to gently remove the tart shells once they are baked.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour and powdered sugar. Add the vegan butter in cubes and use your hands to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and no lumps of butter remain.

Step 3

Continue working the flour mixture to bring it together. It should squeeze together in your hand to form a delicate but pliable dough. If needed, and 1 teaspoon of water at a time, stirring it in with a wooden spoon, until the dough comes together.

Step 4

Take about 1/4 cup of dough to fill a 4" tartlet pan and press the dough into the pan (overtop the strips of parchment) trying to be as even as possible over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Repeat with the remaining 5 tartlet pans and place all the tarts onto a rimmed baking sheet. Poke the bottom of the tartlets several times with a fork.

Step 5

Take a square of parchment and cover the dough. Pour some dried beans, dried rice, or pie weights over each tartlet.

Step 6

Place the baking tray with the prepared tart shells into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift away the parchment holding the pie weights. Return the tart shells to the oven and bake another 5 minutes, or until the dough no longer looks raw and is a light golden. Remove from the oven and let cool down completely. The tart shell will remain soft until it cools. Once completely cool remove the shells from the tartlet pans.

Step 7

Make the pastry cream. Place all of the pastry cream ingredients into a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy.

Step 8

Pour the pastry cream into the cooled tart shells and place the tarts into the fridge for the pastry cream to firm up for at least 30 minutes.

Step 9

When ready, cut the mango to top the pastry cream. Peel the mangoes and cut each side off the pit. To make a rosette, thinly cut the mango width-wise, to make short slices and separate the slices so they are only overlapping about 1/2 to 1/3 of the way. Roll the mangoes in so that the slices wrap around each other to make the rosette. Gently transfer the rosette using a spatula onto the chilled pastry. Lightly press the mango down so it sinks into the pastry cream just a little. Alternatively you can cut the mangoes into slightly thicker slices widthwise and arrange them over the pastry cream as desired.

Step 10

Serve the tarts chilled.

Step 11

To store, keep the tarts tightly wrapped in the fridge and eat within 2 to 3 days. The mangoes will start to discolor if cut too long. You can always wait to add the mango to the pastry filled tart shells until ready to eat.