Green Tea Tart with Lychees & Raspberries
Rejoice my friends and enjoy this Green Tea Tart with Lychees and Raspberries i made especially for you. It’s a French tart with an Asian twist i saw at Payard in New York and tried to recreate at work, i added quite a bit of zen-ness to it of course. It starts with a coconut sable crust with a raspberry jam on the bottom, a delicious green tea cream goes on top garnished with lychees, raspberries and fresh mint. It got a good review from the Big Bossman. I hope you’ll enjoy it too!
Green Tea Tart with Lychees & Raspberries
(serves 6)
For the coconut sable crust:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 oz butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes
For the green tea cream:
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 5 eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon green tea powder (maccha)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- a few drops green food coloring (optional)
To assemble and garnish:
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 2 cups drained lychees, cut in half
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
__________________
For the coconut sable crust:
Preheat oven to 400’F. Butter an 8-inch tart pan and set aside.
Whisk the cream and egg yolk together in a small bowl.
In a mixer fitted with the dough attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter and mix on medium speed until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the coconut flakes, and mix until just combined. Add the cream and yolk and mix until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough and chill for one hour.
When ready to proceed, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a ¼-inch circle. Roll and wrap the dough around the rolling pin to pick it up and unroll over the tart pan. Gently fit the dough into the pan and cut-out the excess. Prick the bottom with a fork and line it with a piece of aluminum foil. Fill the lined tart shell with dry beans or pie weights, and bake 12 minutes. Remove the aluminum with the beans and bake another 12 minutes, until the crust is evenly light golden brown. Set aside on a rack to cool completely.
For the green tea cream:
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch, then whisk in the eggs until well combined.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk in green tea powder and remove from heat. Add half of cream mixture to eggs while whisking constantly. Whisk mixture back into remaining cream and place over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency (if mixture gets lumpy blend for 30 seconds).
Remove from heat, stir in butter, strain through fine mesh sieve and cool over ice bath. Whisk in a few drops of green food coloring (if using).
To assemble and garnish:
With small offset spatula, line the bottom of the coconut sable crust with an even layer of raspberry jam.
Fill the shell with the cool green tea cream and spread evenly.
Garnish with lychees, fresh raspberries and mint. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:38 am
It just goes to show what the power of the mind can do … I have been checking the blog OBSESSIVELY since the clock struck midnight and envisioning myself eating the jam. Mmmm. And it worked!
Thank you, Zenchef, you are the best! I can’t wait to get them!
Mia
August 6th, 2008 at 1:57 am
I like this Asian twist with the green tea cream and the lychees. Never had those with raspberries before, but thinking about it, it would go great.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Woo hoo!!! Thank you ZC! You made my week!
After all the things that have gone wrong the past few days, I knew something good had to happen to even it out. : )
August 6th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Oh swooon! lychee is my favorite fruit ever. Zen, you really nailed it- the colors, the details, even the tray thingy. can i just hug you and have a lychee zentini to go with the tart?
August 6th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Don’t give it to Mia! She’ll get your address and (obsessively) stalk you! Kidding
I knew I shouldn’t have commented first! (– illogical me.)
I love it when you do patisserie
Very in-vogue combination of flavors you’ve used here!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Très trendy ta tarte au thé vert! Pour la confiture, je n'arrive pas à croire que j'ai **encore** oublié d'envoyer mon pot-de-vin, #^*!&!!
August 6th, 2008 at 3:55 am
I didnt win, snif snif…after all the prayers that i did ..heheheh congrats to the winners
you never cease to amaze me Zen, the flavors you mixed up here are perfect altogether!! green tea, lychees and raspberries what could we ask for more! too bad we are not neighbors LOL
August 6th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Zen man! It just isn’t fair that I am not ever invited to bossman’s house to eat. Seriously. What an in credible combo of flavors! And so beautiful…I love the contrast in textures, too.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:25 am
tcho, cela donne bien toutes ces couleurs ! J’aime perso pas trop le thé vert mais le résultat en jette! comme d’hab chez toi! ciao
August 6th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Congratulations to the winners (Mia must have read “The Secret”
!
Zen, everybody leaves your blog vitorious , even without prizes. Your nice recipes are enough!
Lovely tart such nice flavours and color!
August 6th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Congrats to the winners!
Zen, that looks s fresh and delicious! I’m bookmarking this one so I can attempt to make it.
August 6th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Congrats you two!! Jealousy abounds.
Zen honey, I hate to ask, but I’ve never had a lychee. But your pictures make me most definitely want to try one!! This is beautiful.
August 6th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Ooooooh! Nomnomnomnom. I rarely get excited about desserts, but this looks spectacular and soooo refreshing!
August 6th, 2008 at 8:40 am
I demand a re-count!
Okay, okay, congrats to the winners! and what a GORGEOUS tart!
August 6th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Man, I didn’t win. Well congrats to the winners, and there’s always next time. We’re lucky the Zen Man is cool and wise beyond his years
My brother in steak and cheesecake… your tart is awesome to the max. Seriously, that looks sooo refreshing. Now, the question is if green tea is good for you… well green tea tart must be better right? Exactly.
Oh, and you have a sister? Well, I’m sure she won’t like a chiropractor/bodybuilder either
August 6th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Lovely and yummy Tart chef Zen and…….Congrats to the winners! sinf, sniff, sorry…Gloria
August 6th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
What a interesting combo! Love your recreation of it!
August 6th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
What a delicious looking tart, how come I didn’t get my slice?
August 6th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I love lychee, they remind me of fruit goat’s eyeballs.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Those are some psychedelic colors! I love it.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
when I see you next I am going to put you in a headlock I am so over come with emotions a la gastranomique…these look so ’special’
August 6th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
That is an interesting combo. Can you send me some my way? Please. :p
August 6th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
How ironic. Im reading this while drinking a passion/lychee martini! Its lloks very creative and wonderful.Congrats to the winners!
August 6th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Wheehee! You’ve just combined my all-time favourite flavours in one fell swoop! Gorgeous pics!
August 7th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Love the fancy tart. I’m embarassed to say I thought Lychees were some sort of bean! Glad to know that is NOT true! Again, it’s like a little cooking class each time I visit. Thanks for sharing your expertise! Congrats to the winners, we are all envious!
August 7th, 2008 at 2:40 am
Sweet and slightly tart fruits with pleasant yet subtly sophisticated tea gelee – ingenious!
August 7th, 2008 at 2:46 am
This is why you’re the pro, and I bake for a five year old. Tarts to me = shortcrust. I’m not sure what a Joconde is (sad, I know) so in the name of research I’m forced to attempt this. See what you did?
August 7th, 2008 at 6:55 am
That looks nice and colourful and good. I like the use of the green tea.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:42 am
too beautiful to eat it!
August 7th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Oh Lord – this looks way too good!
DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
August 7th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Oh my gosh!! You brilliant, brilliant, man! Though I’m sad that I did not win your lovely jams, I must say that the sight of this gorgeous tart has help dull the pain. I can’t take my eyes off of it! Must. Recreate. Soon.
August 7th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Zenman, you rock man!!! This is incredibly beautiful!!! I love lychees!
August 7th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I promise i won’t stop blogging until you all win something. – that’s a promise I am holding you to.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Oh wow that looks amazing. I just tried some tea cakes with red beans the other day for the first time and was shocked out how good it was (I just knew it would be horrid). I would love to try this, amazing..
August 7th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
What a great combination! I love your asian twist on a french classic dessert!
http://www.chocolateshavings.ca
August 7th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
It’s sooo beautiful! I love it! A French dessert meets Asia. Such a good idea.
The colors really pop.
You are one talented man!
August 8th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Congrats to the lucky TWO winners! And do you PROMISE that you won’t stop blogging until everyone wins?! I’ll hold you to it! (I’m such a greedy blogger)
I’m in lychee heaven now, there’s two fresh varieties that I’m munching on now, both are delicious. What a great tropical inspired tart, I’ll have to same some of my lychees for it.
It looks like, from the recipe, that you used fresh lychee’s. Great!
August 8th, 2008 at 7:17 am
congrats to the winners! The Green Tea Tart looks awesome. Such lovely colours..raspberries and lychees..just heavenly…
August 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Beautiful tart!
Bummer I didn’t win!
I guess I’ll just have to keep commenting. Heaven help me if I grow any kind of beard though!!!
August 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
What a perfect looking tart. The combinations are fascinating!
August 8th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Absolutely beautiful. That tart is making me wish that summer would never end …
August 8th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Poor me, I’ve been dreaming to win! I guess “CONGRATULATION” to the winner!!!!!!!
Chef, this is one exotic tarte, lychees and raspberries? Eat meet west, I suppose?
August 8th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
aww i’m heart broken
no jam 
love the flavours …lychee , green tea …truly asian …
i’m still heart broke n…
August 9th, 2008 at 12:26 am
See what happens when I put myself on socializing lockdown? I miss this incredible jam giveaway…I want to see a video of you jammin’ with the jam!
The tart looks wonderful!
August 9th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Now that looks delish!
August 9th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Zen Chef! I would like to ask you if you took some units in Fine Arts before you cooked. Did you? Because you can 'paint' the plate so well
Mia & Anali, you're so lucky! Congrats!
Oh- I was imagining them having the tart. The jams, right?
August 10th, 2008 at 12:46 am
I freakin love green tea and i know you think that I love any edible thing in this world but green tea is something else…
I love it and will have this for my wedding if i ever will have one.
August 10th, 2008 at 11:48 am
the tart looks so juicy and frutti………..
August 10th, 2008 at 11:49 am
i love this.. .nice nice nice…
August 10th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
that is an amazing colorful tart that I would like to get naked and dive into it, thank you.
August 10th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I love lychees!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for not doing the green tea + red bean LOL (this flavor combo is all over hk)
this year isnt a good yr for me vs lucky draw. T_T
August 11th, 2008 at 3:24 am
The lychees look wonderful – much as I adore eating lychees, I’d never thought about using them in my baking (they don’t usually hang around that long when I’m in the vicinity!)
August 18th, 2008 at 5:13 am
yum yum nice to see good to eat.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Delicious! what a great combination!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
What a spectacular idea. I love lychees! And how beautifully crafted too!