I’m sharing these little tarts just in time for Easter: their fresh green hue makes them look like tiny spring nests, and the vibrant contrast of matcha, blackcurrant, and coconut is as delightful as it is eye-catching. They began as a spontaneous idea—matcha powder in hand, memories of childhood blackcurrant syrup, and a chance gift of coconut purée—reminding me that the best recipes often evolve in unexpected ways.
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 10mini cakes
Ingredients
Blackcurrant Fruit Insert
100gblackcurrant purée
20ggranulated sugar
1sheet gelatin
Matcha Sponge Rings
2egg yolks
20ggranulated sugarI
30gblanchedfinely ground almonds
35gall-purpose flour
2egg whites
25ggranulated sugarII
1tspmatcha powder
Coconut Mousse
96gcoconut puréeor full-fat coconut milk
2egg yolks
2sheets gelatin
98gwhite couverture chocolatechopped
10ggranulated sugar
150gheavy cream
Shortbread Rings Yann Brys Style
100gunsalted butter
55ggranulated sugar
1egg yolk
125gall-purpose flour
1tspvanilla powder
Zest of ½ lemon and ½ orange
Moss-Green Mirror Glaze
150gglucose syrup
150ggranulated sugar
75gwaterportion I
10gpowdered gelatin
60gwaterportion II
150gwhite couverture chocolatechopped
100gsweetened condensed milk
Moss-green gel food coloring
Instructions
Blackcurrant Fruit Insert
Soak the gelatin sheet in cold water until soft.
In a small saucepan, heat the blackcurrant purée with sugar until just simmering.
Squeeze out the gelatin, stir into the hot purée until fully dissolved.
Pour into the small ring cavities of your mold; freeze solid.
Matcha Sponge Rings
Preheat the oven to 170 °C (thick ovens or fan).
Whisk together ground almonds, sugar (I), and yolks until thick and pale.
Dissolve matcha powder in a tablespoon of hot water; blend into the yolk mixture at low speed.
In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and sugar (II) to stiff peaks.
Fold a little meringue into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the remaining meringue along with sifted flour.
Spread the batter thinly (about 5 mm) on a parchment-lined sheet or silicone mat.
Bake for 15 minutes; allow to cool completely.
Use the smaller side of your ring cutter to punch out matcha sponge rings that fit inside your tart molds.
Coconut Mousse
Warm the coconut purée in a saucepan.
In a bowl, whisk the yolks with sugar. Soak gelatin in cold water.
Pour hot coconut purée over the yolk mixture, return to the saucepan, and heat—stirring constantly—until the mixture reaches about 83 °C.
Remove from heat; stir in the drained gelatin until dissolved.
Pour the hot custard over the chopped white chocolate; let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
Cool, stirring occasionally, to about 30 °C.
Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold gently into the custard.
Shortbread Rings
Cream butter and sugar together, then mix in the egg yolk, vanilla powder, and citrus zests.
Stir in the flour until a homogeneous dough forms.
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Roll between parchment to about 3 mm thickness; cut rings with the larger side of your cutter.
Bake on a lined tray at 170 °C until golden (about 12–15 minutes). Cool completely.
Mirror Glaze
Bloom gelatin in the portion II water.
In a saucepan, combine glucose syrup, sugar, and portion I water; heat to 103 °C.
Off heat, stir in sweetened condensed milk and the bloomed gelatin.
Place chopped white chocolate in a tall bowl; pour the hot mixture over it. Add moss-green gel coloring.
Emulsify with an immersion blender—keep the blade submerged to avoid air.
Cover the glaze’s surface with cling film; refrigerate overnight.
Assembly
Remove the frozen blackcurrant inserts from the mold.
Pipe or spoon coconut mousse into the larger ring cavities up to midway.
Gently press one blackcurrant insert into each, then pipe more mousse to fill to the top.
Place a matcha sponge ring on each and freeze the tarts solid (preferably overnight).
Glazing & Finishing
On service day, warm the mirror glaze to about 35 °C.
Unmold the frozen tarts and place them on a wire rack set over a tray.
Pour the glaze evenly over each tart, then let excess drip off.
Wipe the bottom edge clean, transfer to shortbread rings, and allow to thaw briefly in the fridge.