Kiwi Curd Tarts with Strawberry Mousse: A Mouthful in More Ways Than One

Good grief, that was a long title. XD

At the store the other day (you know, stocking up before the big storm), I grabbed a few kiwis because...well, just because. You know how that is, wandering around the produce section and randomly deciding to get something, even though you have no clue what you'll use it in.

When I got back, I started looking through cookbooks, just to get an idea of something to do, and I saw this recipe for a lemon curd tart.

I'm sure we can all make the OBVIOUS leap from lemon to kiwi, and so to kiwi curd, haha.
I wasn't entirely sure if it was possible, and a quick google search was less than fruitful (pun originally not intended.)

So I figured I'd replace the lemon juice with kiwi puree + a liiiiittle bit of lemon juice. I couldn't quite tell that it was kiwi I was tasting, but it was definitely different from a regular lemon curd.

UNFORTUNATELY, when developing your own recipes/methods, timing is very important...By the time the tarts were fully cooked, the crust was rather dark...which was sad. But honestly, it was really good, a nice carmelized flavor. And the method of making it is like a cookie, so...that's how it tastes. Next time I'll probably not prebake them, so I'm going to add that into the recipe.

Then, just to make them prettier, I added a strawberry mousse topping. Strawberry kiwi used to be my favorite Capri Sun flavor when I was a kid, hahaha, so it seemed fitting.

Both of these recipes are fairly labor intensive, but it was definitely worth it. :)

Strawberry mousse with blueberries

Mostly done kiwi curd tarts

They may look burned, but they were actually really good (and no burned taste! haha)

See? Yummy

The mousse was perfect with the curd :)

Kiwi Curd Tarts:
[Crust]
8 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 cup flour
pinch of salt

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the yolk, and beat for about 2 more minutes. Beat in the dry ingredients on a low speed. Form into a disc and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Now you can either make about a dozen mini tarts (I use my cupcake tin) or one big one. Either way, shape the crust in whatever tin you use, and stick it in the freezer or the fridge for a bit (it's a VERY soft dough)

[Kiwi Curd]
(This makes much more than I used for the recipe, but it's just easier this way)
1/2 cup of strained kiwi puree
6 egg yolks
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 egg
1/2 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
8 tbsp butter.

Over a double boiler or a bain marie or whatever you use for stuff like that, whisk together the yolks, egg, and sugar. Add the vanilla, puree and the salt and whisk it until it's really really thick and lightened considerably in color. (trust me, you'll know when it's done).
Strain it and let it cool until it's just barely warm to the touch. Then, whisk in the butter.

Spoon the curd into the prepared crust and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, but depending upon the size/thickness of the shape you choose, it may take longer. Cook it until the center is set (stick a toothpick or something in the middle, if it's clean, it's good).

Let cooooool.


Now, if you want, you can top it with strawberry mousse, or whipped cream or anything.


Strawberry Mousse:
(this also makes more than I used for the tarts, but it taste great on its own anyway, hehe)
1 tsp gelatin
2 tbsp cold water
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup of strained strawberry puree
1 cup of whipped cream

Bloom the gelatin over the cold water.
Boil the milk and vanilla. While that's happening, whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, and cornstarch. Carefully stream the hot milk in to the yolks, whisking furiously the whole time. (don't want to scramble the eggs). Cook the mixture until it's thick (which should not take long. I put the pot on the stove, turned to get the puree from the fridge, and when I got back to the stove, it was thick!). Whisk in the puree and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add in the gelatin, making sure it's totally melted in the mixture. When it's cool, fold it into the whipped cream.
Top the tarts with it, or pipe (or spoon) it into glasses and let it set in the fridge for an hour or so.

Enjoy! (it tastes like ice cream, yum!)


[also, I'm pretty sure I got everything, but if anything's unclear, don't hesitate to ask me!]

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