Persimmon Tartlets

August 28, 2022

Persimmons are a popular fall fruit and are the star of these individual tartlets when baked and then arranged over a layer of homemade pastry cream. To add shine and sweetness to this delicacy, brush with melted apricot preserves just before serving.

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Persimmon Tartlets

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrust dough (2 sheets)
6 medium persimmons, sliced into very thin rounds
2 tablespoons apricot preserves, warmed
Garnish: edible flowers*

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, cook together milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming.
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, gradually adding a little at a time. Return mixture to saucepan, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture starts to boil and thicken. Let mixture boil, whisking constantly, until cornstarch flavor has cooked out, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into another medium heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of custard. Refrigerate until completely cooled, approximately 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°. Spray 8 (4-inch) tartlet pans with baking spray with flour.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll dough. Using a 5½-inch round cutter, cut 8 rounds from dough. Transfer each dough round to a prepared tartlet pan, pressing into bottom and up sides, trimming excess as needed. Using wide end of a chopstick, press dough into indentations in sides of pans. Place tartlet pans on a rimmed baking sheet, and freeze for 15 minutes. Place a small piece of parchment paper in centers of prepared tartlet pans, letting ends extend over edges of pans. Place ceramic pie weights or dried beans on each parchment piece.
Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove pie weights and parchment paper. Bake until tartet shells are lightly golden, approximately 5 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Carefully remove shells from tartlet pans. Store tartlet shells in an airtight container at room temperature and use within a day.
Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange persimmon slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into quarters.
Transfer pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (Ateco #809). Pipe approximately 2 tablespoons pastry cream into each cooled tartlet shell. Using an of set spatula, smooth pastry cream in an even layer. Arrange cooled persimmon slices in a shingled circular pattern to resemble the petals of a flower until pastry cream is completely covered, starting from the outside and working toward the center. Brush tops of tartlets with warm apricot preserves. Serve within an hour.
Just before serving, garnish with edible flowers, if desired.