Apple tartelette with Sheep Yogurt & Tonka

1 day ago
5 min read

Equipment

Tart ring. Here I'm using DeBuyer perforated stainless steel tart ring Ø6,5cm H.2cm

Chocolate tart shell with financier filling

Tart shell

200g Wheat flour

13g Cornstarch

35g Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2g Salt

125g Unsalted butter, diced and softened

69g Icing sugar

1 Whole egg

1 Tonka bean

Place 202 grams wheat flour, 13 grams cornstarch, 35 grams cocoa powder (unsweetened), 2 grams salt, and 125 grams unsalted butter, diced and softened into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix at low speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse, damp sand. Add 69 grams icing sugar and mix briefly until incorporated. Add 1 whole egg and increase speed until the dough just comes together Do not over-mix.
Turn the dough out and roll it to your desired thickness immediately, ideally 2–3mm. Rolling now, while the dough is still pliable, means you won't need to handle it again once cold, which risks warming the butter and making the dough difficult to manage. Sandwich between two sheets of transparent acetate or parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Financier

20 grams plain flour

60 grams sugar

40 grams almond powder (or hazlenut powder, or a mix of them)

10 grams cocoa powder (unsweetened)

70 grams egg whites

100 grams unsalted butter (for brown butter)

Cocoa nibs

Melt 100 grams unsalted butter in a light-coloured saucepan over medium heat. The light colour lets you monitor the butter as it browns, which is essential to catch it at the right moment. Bear in mind that light-coloured pans are rarely non-stick, so expect some extra cleaning afterwards. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids turn deep golden and the butter smells nutty. Immediately strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with kitchen paper into a bowl. You need 70g of strained beurre noisette. Cool to 40–45°C. Warm but not hot.
Whisk 20 grams plain flour, 60 grams sugar, 40 grams almond powder, and 10 grams cocoa powder (unsweetened) together in a bowl until fully combined. Sift the cocoa to avoid lumps. Add 70 grams egg whites and whisk until you have a thick, paste-like batter with no aeration. Pour in the 70g of warm brown butter in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until the batter is glossy and loosened.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes, ideally overnight. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and the butter to firm slightly for a cleaner bake.

Combine

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Remove the dough from the fridge, line your tartelette moulds, and bake for around 15 minutes until the edges are set.
Pipe the financier batter into each shell, filling to roughly the halfway mark of the tart wall height. This is intentional. The financier puffs slightly during baking and you want it to settle just below the midpoint, leaving the upper half clean for any filling you'll add later. Optionally you can sprinkle the financier surface with cocoa nibs to give an extra crunch and peaks of flavour.
Bake at 170°C for 12 minutes, until the surface is set and springs back lightly to the touch. 💡 Pro tip: if you notice the surface or the shell edges colouring too quickly before the financier is fully set, loosely cover the tartelettes with a sheet of aluminium foil. It shields them from direct heat without trapping steam.
Leave in the mould for 10 minutes, then unmould carefully and let it cool. The financier layer is delicate when warm. Allow to cool completely before adding any further fillings or components.

Apple filling

Base preparation

2 Medium apples (~300g), peeled, cored, diced

120g Apple juice (unsweetened). Keep at least additional 40g to adjust the gel thickness.

10g Lemon juice

1 Vanilla pod

20g Sugar (adjust to your apple's natural sweetness)

3g Agar agar

Pinch of Xanthan gum

Lemon zest

Combine the diced apples, apple juice, lemon juice, sugar, and the scraped vanilla seeds and pod in a small saucepan. Simmer over low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the apple is completely soft and the liquid has reduced slightly.
Remove the vanilla pod. Blend until completely smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly. Weigh out exactly 250g of strained purée and top up with a small amount of apple juice if needed.
Return the 250g purée to a clean saucepan. Whisk in the 3g agar-agar. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly, and hold for 30–60 seconds to fully activate. Pour into a flat container and refrigerate until set into a firm brick.
Break the gel brick into chunks. Add the 40g cold apple juice (adjust the amount of juice depending on the thickness). Blend until completely smooth and glossy. Add the xanthan gum and blend for a further 30 seconds. It will tighten slightly and turn silkier. Don't add too much xanthan gum otherwise you'll get an unpleasant jelly texture.
Pass through a sieve and add the lemon zest incorporating it with a spatula.
Transfer the fluid gel to a bowl. Fold in the diced raw apple gently with a spatula. The dice will settle through the gel slightly. This is fine and gives a nice layered effect once cut.
Pour part of the mixture into a dome mould. Freeze until solid.

Sheep yogurt & Tonka whipped ganache

150g Strained sheep yogurt (details on how to strain are in the recipe)

120g Heavy cream (35% fat)

30g Heavy cream (35% fat) for infusion

35g Icing sugar

½ Tonka bean, finely grated

2g Gelatine sheet (platinum, 250 bloom, 1 sheet = 1,75 g)

Before you start - Straining the yogurt

Line a fine-mesh sieve with a layer of cheesecloth or one sheet of kitchen paper and set it over a bowl. Spoon in the yogurt, cover loosely, and refrigerate overnight. Discard the whey and weigh out 150g of the drained yogurt before proceeding. It should look almost like a soft fresh cheese.

Method

Re-hydrate the platinum gelatine sheet in ice-cold water for 5–10 minutes until fully softened.
Warm the 30g cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Just before it reaches a simmer, remove from the heat and grate in the tonka bean directly. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and return to the heat until steaming, then squeeze the bloomed gelatine dry and stir in off the heat until fully dissolved. Allow to cool to around 35°C.
Whisk the strained yogurt with the icing sugar until smooth. Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature before the next step.
Pour the warm tonka cream into the yogurt base, whisking constantly. Add the 120g liquid cream and whisk until fully combined and uniform.
Cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

Assembly

Spoon the apple gel into the tart shell, then set the frozen dome in place. Return the tart to the freezer and allow it to firm up completely.
Using a food processor, whip the chilled sheep yogurt ganache to soft, pipeable peaks, just as you would with a classic whipped ganache. Take care not to over-process. For the spiral pattern, cut the piping bag tip at roughly 40° to the bag's edge, as illustrated. Keep in mind that the size of the opening will determine the fineness of the detail.