Smoked Honey and Yuzu...Smoked Honey and Yuzu Tart with Black Sesame Sablée

An elegant, Michelin-caliber dessert featuring a crisp, nutty black sesame pastry shell filled with a vibrant, velvety yuzu curd, crowned with a light, whipped smoked-honey ganache.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the Black Sesame Sablée: In a food processor, pulse the flour, ground black sesame seeds, powdered sugar, and sea salt. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until a sandy texture forms. Add 1 egg yolk and pulse just until the dough comes together. Roll out between two sheets of parchment paper to 3mm thickness, then chill for 1 hour.

2. 02

   To make the Smoked Honey Ganache base: Heat 60ml of heavy cream and the smoked honey in a small saucepan until just simmering. Remove from heat, add the bloomed gelatin sheet, and stir to dissolve. Pour over the chopped white chocolate, let sit for 1 minute, then emulsify with an immersion blender. Pour in the remaining 120ml of cold heavy cream and blend again. Cover with plastic wrap pressing against the surface and chill for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).

3. 03

   Bake the Tart Shells: Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line six 8cm tart rings with the chilled black sesame pastry. Trim the edges, prick the bases with a fork, and freeze for 15 minutes. Line with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake for another 8-10 minutes until crisp. Cool completely.

4. 04

   To make the Yuzu Curd: In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk together the yuzu juice, 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, and granulated sugar. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 82°C/180°F). Remove from heat, let cool to 60°C (140°F), then gradually emulsify the softened butter into the curd using an immersion blender until silky.

5. 05

   Assemble the base: Pour the warm yuzu curd directly into the baked sesame tart shells, filling them almost to the brim. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours to set completely.

6. 06

   Whip and Pipe: Transfer the thoroughly chilled smoked honey ganache to a stand mixer bowl. Whip on medium-high speed until it reaches medium-stiff peaks (do not over-whip). Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a smooth, round nozzle.

7. 07

   Final Presentation: Pipe elegant droplets of the whipped smoked honey ganache over half of the yuzu tart. Garnish with a few toasted black sesame seeds, a delicate touch of edible gold leaf, and serve immediately at cellar temperature.