Cardamom cream tart

I must admit I was expecting a lot after this recipe. On a photo in a cookbook I saw beautiful tart with a smooth cream and immediately I wanted to try it. The visual effect is amazing but the taste...well, this tart is missing something... it is delicate and this delicateness is a weak point, the tart is without the character. I think that forest fruit mousse could save the situation or maybe some fresh raspberries but I need to wait until Summer to try such a variation...

It is a warning recipe, a chance to experiment with additions because the filling mixture is easy to make. The big advantage is the shortbread base – I’m sure I’ll bake it once again. It’s elastic and easy to roll out. Anyway maybe you will like this tart...

Ingredients
base:
4,5 oz (125 g) room temp. butter
3 oz (90 g) powder sugar
1 large egg
9 oz (250 g) wheat flour
pinch salt
filling:
21 fl oz (600 ml) full fat milk
8 crushed cardamom seeds
1 cinnamon stick
3,5 oz (100 g) powder sugar
1,5 tbsp cornstarch
4 eggs (separate whites and yolks)
beans (to bake)


Method
Mix butter and sugar in a food processor until well combine. Add an egg, mix for about 30 sec. Add flour, mix again until smooth (not too long as the dough shouldn’t get too hard). Slightly knead the dough, put in a plastic bag, keep in a fridge for about 30 min. Roll out the dough and fit it into the tart pan (9 inch/ 23 cm).Place again in a fridge.

Bring to boil a milk with cardamom and cinnamon. Put aside for 15 min. to cool down.

In a meantime take the tart dough from the fridge. With a fork, make holes in the tart dough to prevent it from rising, place parchment over the shell and place a pile of beans on it as added weight while baking. Bake in preheated oven to400F/ 200 oC for 15 min. Take the parchment off the shells, bake for another 5 min. until golden brown. Decrease the temp. to 360F/ 180 oC. In a big bowl mix powder sugar with egg yolks and cornstarch. Stir in the milk. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently combine both mixtures. Spoon the filling mixture onto the shell. Bake for about 20 min, until golden, next for about 1 hour at 220F/ 110 oC. Serve cooled down.