Banana Cream Tart with Banana Caramel
This tart is banana cream pie brought to the next level – instead of traditional pie dough I use an extremely tender and light sweet tart dough, and I also add a sweet sticky banana caramel to the bottom layer of the tart for additional depth of banana flavor. The custard used here is quite traditional and perfect for this tart – not too runny yet not too thick, and it is all topped off with hand whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. I used a 70% Valrhona chocolate, which I though stood up well to the other flavors in the dessert. The bitterness of the dark chocolate did not get lost with the sweetness of the dessert and contrasted well with the caramel. Overall, this tart had a perfect balance of flavors and textures and was truly a decadent treat.
Makes 1 tart
Ingredients
- 2 large medium ripe bananas
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- block or bar dark chocolate for curls
Tart Dough
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Banana Caramel
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 oz banana puree (about 1 banana pureed in a food processor)
- 2 tablespoon cream
- pinch of salt
Custard
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
To make the tart dough, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl fitted for an electric mixer. Cream together on medium/high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Add the yolk and mix until combined. Add the flour and gently mix together on low speed until just combined. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and form into a round disk, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
To bake the tart, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 inch tart pan with butter or use an ungreased nonstick tart pan (preferably one with a removable bottom).
On a lightly floured cold work surface use a rolling pin to roll the dough out about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick. Start rolling from the center working your way outward, constantly moving the dough around the work surface, making sure that it doesn’t stick. Use more flour as needed, but try to use the flour sparingly. To transfer the dough to the tart pan, lightly roll the dough around the rolling pin; then unroll the dough out, over the pan. Working quickly, press the dough evenly into the tart shell. Freeze the tart shell until the dough is chilled and firm, about 30 minutes; then bake until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let the tart shell cool in its pan for 2 minutes; then carefully, using hot pad holders, place your hand on the bottom of the tart to release the sides of the tart pan; then use a spatula to transfer the tart off of the bottom of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile to make the banana caramel, combine the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, without stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil without a lid. Do not stir the caramel. The sauce should continue to boil until it turns a golden chestnut brown; then turn off the heat. Careful the caramel will go from golden to burnt in a matter of seconds.
Being extremely careful, slowly, without splattering, pour the cream into the hot mixture. The mixture will violently bubble. Stir in the banana puree and return back to low heat. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy; then strain through a sieve. Transfer the caramel to a heatproof bowl and stir in the salt. Allow the sauce cool at room temperature for 1 hour. This caramel can be made up to a day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To make the custard, whisk together the cornstarch, half of the sugar, and the salt in a medium-size bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the two eggs. Set both aside.
Over medium heat, bring the milk, remaining sugar, and vanilla bean paste just to a simmer, being careful not to scorch the milk. When the milk is simmering, add the eggs to the cornstarch mixture and whisk together. While whisking, slowly pour a few tablespoons of the hot milk into the egg/cornstarch mixture. Continue to whisk and pour in a few more tablespoons of the hot milk. Return the pot with remaining milk back to the stove and slowly pour the egg/cornstarch mixture into the milk, while whisking.
Use a wood spoon to stir the mixture over low/medium heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter. Transfer the pudding into a heat proof container, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (If the custard is lumpy, strain though a sieve.)
When you are ready to assemble the tart pour the cold heavy cream into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla bean and confectioner’s sugar until dissolved. Use a large balloon whisk to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
To assemble the tart, place the tart shell on a large plate. Spread out the banana caramel evenly on the bottom of the tart shell. Slice the banana into 1/3 inch thick slices and arrange on top of the caramel. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the custard out over the banana and caramel. (The custard should come up to the top of the tart shell’s edge.) Top the custard with whipped cream, and use an offset spatula to evenly spread the whipped cream atop the tart.
To make the chocolate curls for the top of the tart, place the bar of chocolate on a clean cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to scrape the chocolate to form curls. Place the chocolate curls (as much as you prefer) on top of the whipped cream. Refrigerate the tart for 1 hour set up. Slice the tart and serve chilled.
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