Yuzu da bomb (see what I did there?!)

Hi friends!

Hey, we made it through Monday! Not sure about you, but I’ve been counting the hours till I could get back in bed, starting when I got out of bed this morning. Lucky for me, that time is nearly upon me.

At least I got to wake up to some rain this morning! SF got a bit of heavy drizzle / real rain, and it smelled soooo good. More of that please! I might be in the minority there but I love the rain, unashamedly.

I had a really delightful day yesterday being super productive with all my usual weekly cleaning / laundry / market shopping / exercise / etc but also made some nice me-time for myself: brunch (pictured below), a long walk, my book, and a sun puddle. Fave human dropped by in the evening to share yuzu tart with me, so all in all a really solid day.

I have yuzu tart for you today! Yuzu is a citrus fruit commonly found in Japanese and Korean cooking – I happen to live right across from Japantown, which makes sourcing yuzu juice exceptionally easy. Happy days! I love yuzu. Well actually, it would be factually more accurate to say that I love all things citrus, but yuzu is fun because it reminds me quite a bit of key lime. I hardly ever (maybe never?!) do anything with key limes since it seems like they’re hard to find out here, but yuzu makes an arguably better substitute.

The cream-based filling of this tart is silky smooth – it’s light, but satisfying. The citrus keeps it from feeling overwhelming or heavy, and it plays extraordinarily well with the salty almond crust.

I had some leftover filling that I tossed into tiny ramekins, and then couldn’t resist decorating. Of course. You’re shocked, I know.

I’ve never made a tart with a boiled cream filling – the texture is much softer than a panna cotta, and so easy! ALSO, there aren’t any eggs in it, so if you’re baking for any allergies, it’s ideal. I am definitely adding this to the rotation. Simply boil cream, let cool, and pour into the crust: it sets in about 2 hours in the fridge (though I’d say chill it at least 4 before serving). I will say that because it’s a softer tart, it doesn’t slice as cleanly, so if presentation is your ultimate endgame, you might want to go the panna cotta route.

Either way, it’s delicious and I’m so glad that a) I made it and b) that I have leftover yuzu juice. Stay tuned! More yuzu shenanigans are coming your way.

Have a great week!

Yuzu Cream Tart on a Salted Almond Crust

Creamy, citrusy & fresh – the best of all worlds. Yuzu reminds me of key lime, so the creamy filling of the tart plays really well against the salty-ish almond crust. Gluten, grain and refined sugar free. Could be dairy free – just use coconut cream (minus the water) instead of heavy cream. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. Tart filling & method inspired by / modified from Half Baked Harvest, here! Crust is a Wait are Those Cookies original.

For the crust

1.75c almond flour
1/2 c shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp baking powder
Scant 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in vanilla, maple, and melted coconut oil, and stir until completely combined. You’ll be able to press the dough together with your fingers.

Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease a 9″ tart pan (w/ removable bottom) with coconut oil. Press the crust into the plate and up the sides with a spoon or your fingers, creating a smooth edge (or not, your call!). Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.

For the filling

3.5 c heavy cream
1/4 c raw honey
Zest of 2 limes (or fresh yuzu, if you can find it)
1/3 c yuzu juice
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Combine heavy cream, honey, and lime zest in a large pot (cream tends to boil over, so use something bigger than you high is necessary!) Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then remove from the heat. Whisk in the yuzu juice, vanilla, and salt. Let cool for at least 10 minutes (mine probably cooled for more like 20 min), then carefully pour the cream into the baked tart shell. Let set in the refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

Keep leftovers covered in the fridge!