A perfect sweet: How to make a delightful tart surprise

There is no better idea for a gift for a loved one than a sweet surprise you can make yourself. Stop pondering over a gift, and make them a unique tart with delicious toppings. They will be delighted with such a gift.

Crunchy tart combined with delicate coconut cream, juicy strawberries, and coconut pralines not only impresses with phenomenal taste but also incredible appearance. It is almost impossible to take your eyes off it. It's so beautiful. That's why you can be 100% sure it will be a perfect gift idea that will be remembered for a long time. 

Ingredients:

Shortcrust pastry:

• 1 3/4 cups of plain flour,
• 1/2 cup of cold butter,
• 1/4 cup of icing sugar,
• 3 tablespoons of cold water,
• A pinch of salt. 

Coconut cream:

• 2 cups of mascarpone,
• 425 grams of canned coconut milk (chilled beforehand),
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar,
• 6 tablespoons of icing sugar. 

Toppings:

• 1 cup of desiccated coconut,
• 1 cup of strawberries,
• 6 coconut pralines,
• Mint leaf for decoration.

Method of preparation:

Step 1. I start the work on the dessert by preparing the base, which consists of a crunchy tart. To make it, I add butter to sifted flour, and then I start finely chopping it so the ingredients can mix well together. 

I use this technique for a specific reason. Shortcrust pastry doesn't like kneading with hands too much, so such actions should be minimal.

Step 2. After a while, I added the following products: sugar, salt, and cold water. I combine the ingredients using my hands. The final dough should be uniform, compact, and smooth. I then wrap it tightly with cling film and put it in the refrigerator for 40 minutes. 

Step 3. I transfer the well-chilled dough into the tart tin, creating the base. Once the dough is in place, I gently sprinkle it with flour, place baking paper on it and weigh it down with beans. 

This procedure prevents unnecessary bulges during baking. I put the tart with the added weight into a preheated oven for 15 minutes, which should be set at 190°C. After 15 minutes, I removed the baking paper and the beans and then baked the tart for another 6-8 minutes. Finally, I set it aside to cool. 

Step 4. In the meantime, I prepare the coconut cream. I blend chilled coconut milk, vanilla sugar, icing sugar, and mascarpone for this. 

Step 5. I spoon the ready cream directly onto the baked tart. Next, I sprinkle the content of the tin with desiccated coconut. 

Step 6. I decorate the ready dessert with fresh strawberries and coconut pralines and add a mint leaf. And that's all; enjoy!