Description
These Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts feature a delicate, buttery tart shell filled with a creamy, luscious cheese filling made from cream cheese, Parmesan, and a rich custard base. The tarts are baked until golden and slightly caramelized on top, offering a perfect balance of crispness and smoothness. Inspired by the famous Japanese cheese tarts, this recipe yields 12 perfect mini tarts ideal for dessert or a special treat.
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- 90 g Icing sugar
- 230 g Pastry flour (can be replaced with All purpose flour)
- 30 g Almond flour
- Pinch of salt
- 110 g Unsalted butter (82% fat content, very cold, cut into chunks)
- 50 g Egg (approx. 1 egg)
Cheese Filling
- 230 g Cream cheese (full-fat, e.g., Philadelphia)
- 50 g Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 45 g Unsalted butter (82% fat)
- 50 g Whole milk
- 50 g Heavy cream
- 45 g Icing sugar
- 2 Egg yolks
- 15 g Corn starch
Instructions
- Prepare Tart Shell Dough: Measure and cut the butter into chunks, then chill in the freezer for a few minutes. Sift together pastry flour, icing sugar, almond flour, and a pinch of salt. Add the very cold butter chunks to the dry ingredients, rubbing with your hands until the mixture resembles sand. Mix in the egg just until the dough comes together, then knead gently with the palm of your hand for 1–2 minutes until smooth, being careful not to over-knead or use a mixer.
- Chill and Roll Dough: If the dough becomes too warm and sticky, refrigerate for 10–15 minutes. Roll the dough out between two silicone baking mats to about 2mm thickness. Freeze the dough between the mats for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Form Tart Shells: Remove the top silicone mat and cut out dough circles with a cookie cutter. Press each circle into a prepared muffin pan or mini tart molds, ensuring the dough is cold enough to handle. Prick each tart shell with a fork, then freeze for 1 hour before baking.
- Bake Tart Shells - Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) without a fan. Bake the tart shells in the muffin pan for 15 minutes. After baking, the pastry will contract slightly, allowing you to remove the tart cases easily.
- Bake Tart Shells - Step 2: Transfer the tart cases to a baking sheet and bake at 160°C (320°F) for an additional 10–15 minutes upside down to fully bake the bottoms. The shells should be evenly golden brown overall, baked approximately 25–30 minutes total.
- Prepare Filling - Mix Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk the icing sugar and egg yolks together until slightly fluffy, about 1–2 minutes. Whisk in corn starch until smooth.
- Prepare Filling - Heat Cheese Mixture: In a saucepan, gently heat the milk, heavy cream, butter, cream cheese, and grated Parmesan over low-medium heat until melted and combined, likely simmering. Remove from heat promptly.
- Combine and Thicken Filling: Slowly pour the warm cheese mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until thickened.
- Chill Filling: Transfer filling to a shallow bowl, cover the surface tightly with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation, and chill for one hour before use.
- Assemble and Bake Tarts: Preheat oven to 220°C (428°F) without fan. Fill each tart shell with the chilled cheese filling using a piping bag. Whisk one egg with a splash of water and lightly brush egg wash on top of the filling. Bake for 5–10 minutes until the tops are lightly caramelized.
- Serve: Serve the baked cheese tarts warm, at room temperature, or chilled according to preference.
Notes
- Use very cold butter for the tart dough to achieve a flaky, tender pastry.
- Do not over-knead the dough to avoid tough tart shells.
- Chilling the dough and shells multiple times helps maintain shape and texture during baking.
- The two-step baking ensures fully baked, crisp tart shells with a golden finish.
- Covering the filling with plastic wrap prevents a skin from forming while chilling.
- Egg wash on the cheese filling creates a lovely caramelized top typical of Hokkaido cheese tarts.
- These tarts can be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature, each offering a different texture experience.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
