White Chocolate Chai Tart
Serves 10
10 mins prep
40 mins cook
240 mins Resting Time
290 mins total
Vanilla chai tart crust filled with rich white chocolate ganache and topped with a starry motif for New Year’s Eve.
Vanilla chai tart dough
White chocolate ganache filling
Garnish
Do ahead
Spray a 9-inch round tart mold with oil.
The tart dough can be made a day or two ahead of time as it needs to chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
Make the tart dough
Whisk dry ingredients together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add butter and mix on low until a sandy texture forms. Dough should remain in a clump when grabbed.
With the mixer running on low, add vanilla. Add half of the egg. If the dough comes together and looks like cookie dough it is ready. If it is still too dry, add the rest of the egg.
Wrap in plastic and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate overnight or at least two hours.
Bake the tart shell
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roll out tart dough on a floured surface or between two sheets of plastic (I cut up plastic from random stuff like packing material or cereal bags and wash them) into a 12-inch circle, 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to the 9-inch tart pan and trim edges using a paring knife. Save the scraps for later. If using plastic, you may find it easier to remove the plastic after popping it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Prick tart base with fork. Place a 12-inch circle of parchment (scrunched first for easier shaping) on top of tart and fill with pie weights or dried beans or rice. Chill dough in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking.
Bake for 30-40 minutes. This dough will not take on a lot of color. Carefully remove weights and parchment and return to the oven for a few minutes if the middle still looks “wet”.
Let cool completely.
Make the white chocolate ganache filling
In a heatproof bowl, combine the white chocolate, heavy cream, butter and pinch of salt.
Set this bowl over a pot with an inch of water (the water should not touch the bottom of your bowl). Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Blend with an immersion blender until lightened in color and emulsified. Optionally, add a bit of white food coloring. Reserve 2 tbsp for decorating.
Immediately pour the rest into the cooled tart crust and smooth with an offset spatula. Let cool completely to room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill completely to set, about 2 hours.
Decorate
Mix in food coloring or gold luster dust to the reserved ganache. You may need to reheat it for 10-20 seconds in the microwave. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe the ganache on the top of the chilled tart in a pattern of your choosing.
Re-roll the tart dough scraps. Punch out shapes, like stars in varying sizes. Bake for 5-10 minutes, then cool. Place on top of the tart in a crescent shape, if desired.
Garnish with white chocolate pearls and star sprinkles, if desired.
