A coconut dough filled with dulce de leche and a super easy lemon cream (made in the microwave!). This pie recipe is beautiful for brunch, Easter table, Mother's Day or just because you have a sweet tooth.
A dessert with a unique flavor combination
Most of you are enjoying spring, so I made you this coconut lemon tart.
First of all, the crust is the coconut part of the recipe. It has shredded coconut in the sweet dough and is easy to make.
Coconut can have a weird smell while baking (it reminds me of soap, at least the one I buy), but when toasted, it's outstanding.
It also has a layer of dulce de leche in the middle, so I think it deserves a special pedestal like the cake stand it sits on.
Have you ever tried dulce de leche and coconut? It's one of the most magic combinations ever!
But first, have you ever tried dulce de leche? I know it's becoming more popular, but many of you never had the pleasure. So I'll leave you this link in case you're wondering what is dulce de leche?
I know many of you think making pie dough is very complicated. As with many recipes, it's a lot about details and practice.
Maybe you'll get it right the first time; maybe you won't.
But I urge you to try to make pie dough from scratch. It's the only way to master it. You should've seen my first apple pie! That horrible, tough dough is still embedded in my mind.
Tips for making pie dough
- Don't overwork the dough. When making the dough ball, after the wet ingredients have been added (eggs, milk, water, a combination, etc.), don't knead it as you would bread, for example. The dough must come together, be soft, and not have dry spots, but stop when that is achieved.
- Resting time. Make sure the dough rests in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before rolling it. It really needs this time to relax the gluten, become more malleable, and develop a better texture after it's baked. Don't skip this step!
- Rolling and lining the pan. Use extra flour only if needed when rolling; you don't want to dry it out, as it will be hard to reverse. When lining the pan, don't stretch it to reach the sides. If the dough is stretchy and shrinks a bit when rolling, simply give it a few minutes. It will relax, and you'll be able to roll it a few more inches.
Lemon pastry cream
The other great thing about this dessert is that the lemon cream is made in the microwave. It takes a few minutes, and the results are outstanding! I don't think I'll ever go back to making custard on the stove.
I had heard of pastry cream being made in the microwave in 3 minutes plus the time it took to measure the ingredients.
So, I made this lemon cream the same way since it's basically a lemon pastry cream with cornstarch and cream instead of flour and milk.
It turned out so delicious that you wanted to eat it with a spoon, which I may or may not have done.
So, we have a baked coconut tart shell, a layer of creamy, sweet dulce de leche and lemon cream.
Let me tell you, again, that this lemon cream is made in the microwave in 5 minutes tops. A few minutes, and you have a luscious lemon-flavored cream that you will want to eat by the tablespoon. That's how good it is.
The recipe is similar to pastry cream and you'll want to make it repeatedly and use it everywhere.
Maybe I overdid it the first time with the amount of dulce de leche because, you know, I'm the hugest fan, being from Argentina and all. So, I think a little restrain will be good for the balance of flavors, as the lemon cream and coconut in the dough will shine more. And that will be very good for the overall experience.
Don't be put off by the long recipe. I just wanted to be thorough with the details. It comes together much faster than you might think, and it disappears from the table even faster.
Related recipes you might like:
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Coconut Lemon Tart with Dulce de Leche
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, in pieces
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg yolk
For the lemon cream:
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or at room temperature
To assemble:
- 1 cup dulce de leche, see Notes below
- Extra dulce de leche or coconut flakes, for decoration
Instructions
For the crust:
- Food processor: in the bowl of a food processor mix flour with coconut and sugar.
- Add cold butter and pulse a few times until the butter is the size of peas.
- Add yolk and pulse just until it starts to come together. Don’t let it become a ball of dough.
- If the dough is too dry add a tablespoon of water, but only if necessary.
- By hand: in a large bowl mix flour, coconut, and sugar.
- Add butter and mix with a dough cutter or with your hands, breaking the butter pieces until they are the size of peas. Be careful not to let the butter start to melt. If that happens, pop the bowl for ten minutes in the fridge before continuing.
- Add yolk and mix with a fork until it starts to come together.
- If the dough is too dry add a tablespoon of water, but only if necessary.
- For both methods: either way, you mix it, turn the dough onto the clean counter.
- Gather it together and give it some turns until no dry spots are left. It should be soft but don’t overdo it. Just until you have a ball.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
- You will use an 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
Rolling the dough:
- On a clean counter, roll it to about ⅓ inch thick and a few inches wider than the pan. Add some flour if the dough is too wet to roll, but you probably won't need it.
- Gently line the pan with the dough, being careful not to stretch it but making sure you cover the whole surface, bottom, and sides.
- Prick the bottom a few times with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven to 350ºF (180º C).
- Cover the frozen dough with a large piece of aluminum foil and add some weight (uncooked rice, beans, flour, pie weights) and bake for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and bake until dry and golden.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the lemon cream:
- Mix sugar, cornstarch, yolks and cream in a glass bowl.
- Heat in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and whisk well. Nothing will appear to happen.
- Repeat another 30 seconds and whisk.
- Repeat once more if necessary, until you see that it has thickened in some areas.
- Whisk vigorously until creamy and heat in 10-second spurts until you whisk it and it thickens uniformly.
- Add the butter and lemon juice and whisk until it is creamy.
- Be careful not to burn it.
- Immediately put a piece of plastic wrap or similar touching the whole hot surface. This will prevent it from developing a thick crust.
- Can be made 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
To assemble:
- Put the baked coconut crust on the serving plate.
- Add a layer of dulce de leche, spreading carefully.
- Add the lemon cream on top at the last minute.
- Drizzle with some heated dulce de leche or decorate with toasted coconut flakes.
Earl Williams says
WOW. Thank you so much!