A ma(n)g(o)nificent cardamom crust, filled with vanilla diplomat cream and bright mango gems. # 264: Mango Cream Tart

As I went to write this, I had a tiny feeling of deja vu, and realized that this tart is the cousin of the Mango Blossom Tartlets I made last year. Oops! Apparently I really love the combo of cardamom crust, vanilla pastry cream and fresh mango.

Some flavor combos are meant to be. Mango has such a lovely floral flavor, it wants to be best friends with everything. And if you’ve been here awhile, you know that I put vanilla pastry cream in just about anything. Can’t stop, won’t stop.

There’s a certain joy when you’re almost done with a bake, and you have all the elements ready to be assembled. Next time I’ll put chopped pistachios in the triangles pointing down, and shredded coconut in the ones pointing up! It would be half quilt, half farm fields seen from an airplane.

Classic sweet short crust with a pinch of cardamom. There’s always a tiny bit leftover to pop in the freezer for a random Tuesday night mini tart!

Parchment paper is the best baking invention ever. I think the oven and pastry cutter would like to argue but look how easy it makes rolling dough. Magic *chef’s kiss*

The nerves before the pastry flip. Deep breath.

Voila! She woke up like this.

I had some freeze dried mangoes so I tried blitzing and adding them to the pastry cream. Not a huge flavor difference, but it gave it a tan color. C’est la vie.

The stage is set.

In hindsight, a little gelatin would have been perfect. (Diplomat cream is supposed to have a little for stability, but I forgot, oops.) It just didn’t want to hold pretty slices when I cut it. Good thing it tastes amazing enough to make up for it!

Those little bar glasses got a side gig.

The sun set right as I finished up but the mango glowed enough for a final picture.

Happy munching!