Matcha tart
This matcha tart has a crisp, buttery shell holding a silky matcha ganache (a mixture of chocolate and cream). The gentle bitterness and fresh, grassy aroma of Japanese matcha meld with the rich sweetness of white chocolate, creating an elegant, not-too-sweet tart that's perfect with hot tea.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rising or chilling
- 4 hr 20 min
- Total time
- 5 hr 30 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Tart shell
Matcha ganache filling
Dusting
Instructions
Step 1
Beat 95 g softened butter with 50 g powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth, add 30 g beaten eggs, then add 170 g all-purpose flour and mix just until it comes together. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains so the shell doesn't turn tough or shrink. The dough is ready when it's soft, smooth, uniform in color and has no streaks of white flour.
Step 2
Press the dough into a flat disk, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for about an hour. As the butter firms up, the dough becomes sturdy and easy to roll thin while keeping its crisp texture. The dough is ready when it feels firm and no longer sticks to the plastic wrap.
Step 3
Roll the dough about three millimeters thick between two sheets of parchment paper, drape it over a 20 cm tart pan, gently press it into the bottom corners, then trim the edge with a sharp knife. Pressing the corners well keeps them from being thick or underbaked. The shell is ready when the sides stand straight, are evenly thick and hug the pan.
Step 4
Prick the base of the shell a few times with a fork and put the pan in the freezer for about twenty minutes. Frozen dough going into the oven keeps its shape sharp, so the sides won't slump. The shell is ready when it's frozen solid and leaves no mark when touched.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 175°C with a rack in the middle, and have parchment paper and pie weights ready. A moderate temperature bakes the shell crisp while keeping it pale golden, which shows off the green of the filling. The oven is ready when the preheat light switches off.
Step 6
Line the shell with parchment paper, fill it with pie weights and bake at 175°C for 15 to 18 minutes. The weights keep the base from puffing up and the sides from collapsing while the dough is still soft. The shell is ready when the edges have set and are a pale cream color.
Step 7
Lift out the paper and weights, bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, then let the shell cool completely in the pan. The ganache filling isn't baked, so the shell has to be fully baked at this stage. The shell is ready when the base is dry, evenly golden and feels light and crisp when lifted.
Step 8
Sift 10 g matcha powder through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing any lumps through the mesh with a spoon. Matcha clumps very easily; if you don't sift it, the filling will be speckled with dark green bits and taste harshly bitter. The powder is ready when it's completely fine and loose with nothing left in the sieve.
Step 9
Heat 180 g whipping cream over low heat until it bubbles gently at the edges, turn off the heat and whisk in the matcha until dissolved, then pour it over 200 g chopped white chocolate, let it stand for one minute and stir from the center outward; finally, add 20 g unsalted butter. Don't let the cream come to a rolling boil, because white chocolate scorches and splits easily. The ganache is ready when it's glossy and smooth, an even jade green and falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.
Step 10
Pour the warm ganache into the cooled tart shell, tilt the pan gently to level the surface, pop any air bubbles with a toothpick and refrigerate for about three hours. A long enough chill sets the ganache creamy and smooth without turning it hard. The filling is ready when it doesn't stick to your finger when touched lightly and the surface is perfectly flat.
Step 11
Remove the tart from the pan, sift matcha powder (2 g) evenly over the top just before serving and slice with a warmed knife. Dusting right before eating keeps the powder bright green and dry. The slices are ready when the cut sides are clean, showing a clear golden rim of crust around the smooth green filling.
Equipment
- Oven
- Tart pan
- Rolling pin
- Small saucepan
- Sieve
- Spatula
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Parchment paper
- Refrigerator
Tips
- Use a bright green baking-grade matcha, because low-quality matcha turns yellowish and tastes more bitter.
- You can top the tart with a few strawberry slices or some sweet red bean paste for a pop of color and flavor.
- For a less sweet filling, add a little more matcha but keep the ratio of chocolate to cream the same so the filling still sets.
Storage
The tart must be kept cold in an airtight container and is best within three days. Take it out of the fridge about fifteen minutes before serving so the filling is softer and silkier.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The ganache split and looks grainy.
- The cream was too hot or it was stirred too hard. Let the mixture cool a little, then add a spoonful of cold whipping cream and stir slowly from the center outward so the emulsion comes back together.
- The filling doesn't set and is still soft and runny after chilling.
- There was too much cream for the amount of chocolate, or the white chocolate was low in cocoa butter. Weigh carefully and choose a baking-grade white chocolate with a high cocoa butter content.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
