White Chocolate-Passion Fruit Tart

• First make the crust: Blend the first five ingredients in a food processor until fine. Next, add the butter and pulse lightly to combine.*

• Add the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of water (and extract, if desired) and pulse until moist clumps form. If the dough is too dry, add more water, œ teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.

• Turn the dough out of the food processor onto a clean, floured work surface. Gather into a ball and then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

• Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it is larger than an 11-inch tart pan. Invert the crust into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the edges, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes, and let cool.

• To prepare the filling: Place the white chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl.

• In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of heavy cream to a boil.

• Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and let cool to room temperature.

• Add the passion fruit purée to the white chocolate mixture and stir.

• In a chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1œ cups of heavy cream with the sugar until softly whipped.

• Add in the passion fruit cream and beat until incorporated and stiff. Do not overbeat.

• Spread or pipe (I used a start tip) the filling into the tart crust. Let set in the fridge for 20 minutes.

*If doing this step by hand, place the first five ingredients in a bowl and add butter, using your fingers to break it up. **Available at Global Foods Market, 421 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.835.1112, $3.

This article appears in December 2011.