Ingredient: Edam cheese, grated

Purple Yam (Ube) Tarts

If you follow our blog, you have probably noticed my love for ube (pronounced ‘ooh-bae’), the starchy vegetable also known as purple yam. This veggie isn’t just any old root vegetable. Although it is similar to taro & sweet potatoes, it is neither. Yams, for one, grow on vines, while sweet potatoes grow underground. Though ube is originally native to the Philippines, its become an international sensation for its unique color and sweet, starchy flavor.

There are endless things you can make with these purple yams. I’m keeping it simple today with some tarts, but I’m going to make a special ‘Breton Shortbread’ pastry for them. It’s hard to describe its texture – kind of a cross between cake & shortbread. When you first take a bite, there is a crispiness to the exterior, but then you reach a dense, almost cake-like interior full of buttery goodness.

Brittany is a region in the North of France, very close to the UK, with which it shares some traditions and cultural aspects. The region is famous for two of its local products: butter & sea salt. Breton is a Celtic language spoken, along with French, in Brittany, which is where this recipe originates.

There are many variations on the classic buttery, sandy-textured French version of shortbread cookies. The beauty of the Breton dough is its ease of mixing and shaping. In addition to using this dough for cookies, it can be used for dessert bases or tart shells as I’m doing today. It seemed like the perfect choice combined with ube jam topped with salty cheese.

Print Recipe
 Purple Yam (Ube) Tarts
Votes: 3
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, Filipino
Keyword purple yam (ube) tarts
Servings
TARTLETS
Ingredients
Ube Tart Filling (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD OF USING)
Breton Shortbread Tart Shells
Topping
Course Brunch, dessert
Cuisine American, Filipino
Keyword purple yam (ube) tarts
Servings
TARTLETS
Ingredients
Ube Tart Filling (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD OF USING)
Breton Shortbread Tart Shells
Topping
Votes: 3
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Tart Filling
  1. In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoanut & condensed milks; stir until heated. Add thawed, grated purple yam & combine well. Cook over a low heat.
  2. It is important to stir the mixture often during cooking to prevent it from forming a 'crust'. This process takes about 40-50 minutes until yams are cooked. The mixture should be thick & sticky. Transfer to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap (touching the pudding surface) & set aside to cool. Refrigerate until used.
Tart Shells
  1. In a medium bowl, cream butter with sugar, salt & vanilla; add the egg yolk.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour & baking powder; add to creamed mixture. Blend well.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  4. Divide dough into 48 small portions & place them in silicone muffin pans (it should not be too thick. No need to press the dough down as that will be done after baking).
  5. Bake shells for 12 minutes. IMMEDIATELY after removing the shells from the oven, press the middle of each shortbread with a small pestle. The dough then rises up the sides & a hollow forms in the center for the filling.
Assembly
  1. Fill cooled tart shells with chilled yam filling. Sprinkle with grated Edam cheese. Serve.
Recipe Notes
  • These are best eaten after filling the shells as they will soften overnight.

Marquesitas

Yucatan food is markedly different from Mexican food as most of us know it. One reason is, of course, the pronounced Mayan influence, but numerous other cultures have left their mark on the cuisine as well. From the British and Spanish to the Lebanese and even the Dutch with their Edam cheese. No one knows for sure how the Dutch cheese got to this part of Mexico … some attribute it to Caribbean trade routes, others claim wealthy Yucatan hacienda owners who grew ‘henequen’, (a fiber used to make rope), brought it back from their European travels.

Like many desserts and culinary traditions around the world, the invention of ‘marquesitas’ has its own unique story. Legend has it that the marquesita was invented in the city of Merida, Mexico. During one cold (??) winter when ice cream sales were down, an ice cream vendor started experimenting with ideas to use the waffle cone in a different way. It was then that the marquesita began to take shape.

Marquesitas are like crunchy crepes: a batter is poured into what looks like a waffle maker, sweet or savory add-ins are tossed in, then the whole thing is rolled up once its crispy. The crepe itself tastes like a waffle cone with hints of vanilla and almond … but its all about what sweet and savory fillings you choose. Traditionally, Dutch Edam cheese was shaved right into the crepe.

Print Recipe
 Marquesitas
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert, Lunch
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Course dessert, Lunch
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a blender, place all ingredients EXCEPT cheese & puree until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes or cover & refrigerate up to 12 hours. Stir before using.
  2. If a marquesita iron is not available a 10-inch crepe pan or even just a flat bottomed non-stick skillet will do just fine. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour about 1/4 cup batter out in a 10-inch circular shape. You want to create a very thin layer. Once the bottom begins to become toasted & golden , loosen the edges with a spatula & flip to toast the other side.
  3. Sprinkle the marquesita with some grated cheese while it is still pliable. Roll up into a big, wide roll. Finish with some gated cheese on top. You can add whatever filling you choose ... sweet or savory!