It’s no secret that I love black sesame. It is the perfect ingredient for someone who likes desserts that are not too sweet, adding a slightly savory and deeply nutty flavor. This black sesame tart pairs a silky black sesame pastry cream with a chocolate crust and fresh, sweet berries. The chocolate flavor complements the depth of the black sesame and the berries round out the dessert, adding a pop of color and bright flavor.
For the tart dough, I slightly adapted the chocolate dough recipe from Melissa Clark’s chocolate caramel tart, which is made using an electric mixer and then pressed into the tart pan. To prevent the dough from slumping in the pan, I give it a good 30-minute freeze before baking.
The black sesame pastry cream is flavored by first toasting the black sesame seeds and then processing them with milk in a blender to crush the sesame seeds and create a smooth black sesame milk. The milk mixture is heated and allowed to steep for 20 minutes, before being incorporated into the pastry cream. One important note that I often forget when making pastry cream is to allow the mixture to boil while stirring for about two minutes after it has initially thickened before taking it off the heat. This kills an enzyme in the egg yolks that dissolves starch–when you don’t sufficiently heat your pastry cream, the starch-eating enzymes can leave your pastry cream runny by the next day.
Finally, to top off the tart, I used a mix of berries, based on what was available and on sale at the time. If possible, I highly recommend using all raspberries, as the raspberries make a fantastic pairing with the black sesame. If you’re feeling adventurous and looking for a new tart to try out, this recipe is a great place to start.
Black sesame berry tart
Course: Pies and tartsDifficulty: Baking session1
8- or 9-inch tart1
hour30
minutes30
minutesThis black sesame berry tart pairs a nutty black sesame pastry cream with a dark chocolate crust and fresh, sweet berries. The chocolate flavor complements the depth of the black sesame and the berries round out the dessert, adding a pop of color and bright flavor. You can use any combination of berries for this dessert, but for the best flavor experience, I recommend using all raspberries, which pair fantastically with black sesame. The recipe for the chocolate tart dough is slightly adapted from Melissa Clark’s chocolate caramel tart.
Ingredients
- For the tart dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (56g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp diamond crystal salt (or 1/2 tsp Morton kosher)
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup strawberry jam
- For the pastry cream
1/3 cup black sesame seeds
2 cups whole milk
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 tsp diamond crystal kosher salt
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
4 large egg yolks, cold
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- For the topping
3 6-ounce containers of raspberries or other mixed berries
2 Tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
- Make the pastry cream
- Heat the black sesame seeds in a skillet over medium low heat, tossing occasionally, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Add to a blender, along with one cup of milk. Blend until smooth. The aim is to break up the sesame seeds as much as possible. Then return to the saucepan and pour in a second cup of milk. Add the salt. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 15-20 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove any large pieces of sesame seeds.
- Meanwhile, add the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch to a bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow in color. Gradually whisk in about half of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Then, pour the egg yolk and milk mixture back into the pan and return to medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to boil, about 7 minutes. You should see large, slow bubbles if you stop stirring for a moment. Once the mixture is thick, continue to cook, stirring, for another two minutes. Then remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the butter until fully melted. Cover the top with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down to directly touch the surface of the pastry cream. Chill for several hours or overnight, until fully set.
- Make the crust
- Add the butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cocoa powder to a bowl. Beat using an electric mixer until smooth. Then add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Pour in the flour and beat on the lowest speed setting until just combined. Then press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch tart pan until you have achieved a relatively even thickness. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to help you flatten the surface. You may have a bit of excess dough, which you can remove. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the tart dough with foil and fill with pie weights (you can use uncooked rice or dried beans instead). Bake for 15 minutes, until the center is no longer wet, then remove the foil and pie weights. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the bottom of the crust and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is fully set and fragrant. Let cool completely.
- Assemble
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge. If needed, give it a quick whisk to loosen it up and then spread evenly in the base of the crust. Top with berries, arranging them in concentric circles.
- Heat the apricot jam, along with 1 tsp of water. Brush onto the berries to create a shiny glaze for your tart. Serve. Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days.
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