These mini Coconut Tartlets are made with coconut and egg white so are naturally gluten free. Fill them with vanilla-whipped cream and top with crystallized ginger. Serve on a small pedestal tray if you have one.
Serve these coconut tartlets year round and vary the filling. Homemade lemon curd is my personal favourite but other fillings could be lime curd, passion fruit curd, blood orange curd or mango mousse.
I made this version of coconut tartlets for a Thai cooking class so gave them an Asian spin. The vanilla-whipped cream and slivered crystallized ginger was simple yet delicious.
For a more substantial dessert or a fancy event accompany the tartlets with an exotic fruit tray. Whether you have your own Gluten Free Dinner Club or not, these would be fabulous as dessert for this Thai menu.
Best Baking Pans for Mini Tartlets
Life in the kitchen is always easier when you have the right equipment. I have older non-stick mini muffin/mini cupcake pan yet it was challenging to remove the cooked tarts. A newer pan might be fine.
My silicone mini muffin pan was the trick, I easily pushed the tarts out and the pan is a breeze to wash. If you have a mini cheesecake pan the shape is a bit different but it would also be perfect for this recipe.
Tips For Making Mini Tarts
There is a hack for everything from opening young coconuts to cutting pomegranates. These are my tips for making coconut tartlets with ease. When they work for you this becomes an easy recipe and one of these tips will become your hack.
- Press the coconut mixture into a round one-tablespoon measuring spoon.
- Tap the mixture out of the measuring spoon into the tart tin.
- Flip the little half-ball over so the rounded part is on the bottom.
- Use a liqueur glass to push the coconut into the sides of the pan making an indent for the filling.
- If you're using a metal pan remove the tartlets while still warm and slightly pliable.
- Alternately, use a small stiff spatula or spreader to loosen the outsides of each tartlet and remove.
Let me know in the comments below if you tried this recipe.
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Mini Coconut Tartlets
Ingredients
COCONUT TARTLETS
- 2 egg whites
- 1½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut*
- ¼ cup sugar** (optional)
VANILLA-WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ oz crystallized ginger cut into slivers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray mini muffin tins with oil.
- In a large bowl stir egg whites until frothy.
- Stir coconut and sugar into the egg whites. Mix until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it in the palm of your hand.
- Form a heaping tablespoon of the coconut mixture into a ball and place it in the tin. Using your thumb or a liqueur glass, press the ball into the sides of the tin. The crust should be about ¼ inch thick.
- Bake tartlets until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Can be made several days in advance.
VANILLA-WHIPPED CREAM
- Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds into cream (reserve pod for another use). Beat cream until soft peaks form.
SERVING
- Fill coconut tartlets with vanilla-whipped cream just before serving.
- Garnish with crystallized ginger. Serve.
Cinde Little
What a great gluten free tart replacement!