Passion Fruit Tart

inspired by Doubting Thomas cafe

There’s a cafe in LA called Doubting Thomas that has a delicious and beautiful passion fruit pie (they call theirs pie, I consider it a tart though? haha). I rarely see passion fruit in the grocery store so when I  recently saw some in stock, I had to buy a couple to make my own version of passion fruit tart! Passion fruit is so expensive though and so I opt to make the tart with passion fruit purée which is much cheaper! This tart is delicious and my friends all gave me compliments on it! :D

Doubting Thomas cafe uses macadamia nuts in their crust but hazelnuts were cheaper at my store so I chose to use those nuts instead! Also, they use whipped crème fraîche on top. I used heavy cream instead since it’s also cheaper and more easily accessible.

Passion fruits are also expensive! The ones at my grocery store sell for three dollars for only one. That’s why I use passion fruit purée which is bought frozen. I just leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw before using.

Ingredients
9.5-inch tart ring

1-2 passion fruit, optional, for decoration and slight crunch of the seeds

Hazelnut Graham Cracker Crust
55 grams (~1/2 cup) hazelnuts
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
9 (~140 grams) graham crackers
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Passion Fruit Curd
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (~190 grams) passion fruit purée/pulp, thawed
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
Zest from 1 lemon

Whipped Cream
1 cup (60 milliliters) heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Vanilla bean paste

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Directions

1. Hazelnut Graham Cracker Crust
   -Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
   -Toast 55 grams hazelnuts in a small pan over medium heat for around 5 minutes until they smell fragrant. Remove from pan.
   -Melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter in the pan over medium low heat. Continue cooking the butter until it bubbles then starts to turn brown and smell nutty. Remove from heat. Be careful not to burn the brown butter.
   -Add your toasted hazelnuts and 9 graham crackers to a food processor and blend until fine. Then add your brown butter and blend some more. Transfer to a bowl and mix thoroughly with a spatula to make sure the butter is fully incorporated.
   -Place your 9.5-inch tart ring onto a silicone baking mat baking sheet. Then add your graham cracker mixture onto it. Flatten the mixture and spread it out flat with more of the crumbs towards the edge. Use a measuring cup or something similar to compress the edges and bottom.
   -Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Passion Fruit Curd
   -Lower the oven to 325 degrees F.
   -Add 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup passion fruit puree, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and the zest of a lemon to a medium pot. Mix everything together until combined.
   -Heat your pot over medium low, while constantly mixing your mixture with a whisk. Continue cooking until the curd thickens to the point that it can cover a spoon and you can trace a line onto the spoon with your finger without the curd losing its shape. Remove from heat.
   -Strain the curd to rid it of any possibly curdled egg and the zest. Then add 1/2 cup cubed unsalted butter to the curd and mix until the butter is fully melted and incorporated to the curd.
   -Pour all of your curd into the graham cracker crust. Spread it around evenly. Then bake your tart for 13-15 minutes until the edge of the curd starts to set. It will still jiggle in the center.
   -Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then cool in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, preferably overnight to set. This is important if you want a clean structured slice of your tart.
   -Once the curd is fully set, remove the tart from the tart ring. You can also now transfer the tart to a cake board or plate with relative ease.

3. Whipped Cream
   -Add 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and a bit of vanilla bean paste (to your preference 1-2 teaspoons) to a bowl. Then beat with a hand mixer on high until you have whipped cream.
   -Add your whipped cream onto your set tart. Flatten and smoothen the cream with an offset spatula.

4. Assembly
   -Add some passion fruit onto the cream as decoration. Slice and enjoy!