22 Sep Matcha Panna Cotta & Black Sesame Tartlets

I had every intention of putting this magic in front of you all last week, but sorry team, time got away from me yet again. On Thursday morning, Steve and I boarded a flight to Newark for his best friend’s wedding (congrats Cassie + Jordan!), in which Steve was the most dapper, bow-tied best best man of all time (great speech, babe!). *heart-eyed emoji*

The plan as we knew it was to spend a night in New Jersey with his uncle, then head down to Pennsylvania for the wedding the next day. But when we got to Uncle Mike’s place on Thursday evening, SURPRISE!, Steve’s parents were there, hiding behind one very large refrigerator with (our favorite) chocolates, plenty wine and of course, the best of company. With only hours of quality time to be had and 2000+ calories of delicious Italian food to be consumed, who’s got time for blogging?

The following days were spent surrounded by amazing people in what has to be of the quaintest, most idyllic colonial towns in existence. In case you missed it there were sunflowers the size of dinner plates, pumpkin patch excursions, cider donuts (at one point scarfed drunkenly off of our historic inn’s ironing board, smothered with homemade strawberry jam…whoops), life-changing salted caramel ice cream topped liege waffles, and more early fall scenes than my I’m-so-excited-because-there’s-no-seasons-in-Texas heart could handle. I think it’s safe to say I’m quite smitten with the Northeast.

Today’s recipe might seem just a tad bit familiar…remember these? When I made matcha & hibiscus panna cottas a couple of weeks ago I was so inspired (and maybe a tad bit hopped up on caffeine) that I made far more base than was reasonable for two breakfast-sized portions. So, what do you do when life gives you extra matcha panna cotta? You tartlet, apparently.

At the time of conception I had vowed not to use the oven, but I was so tempted by the lure of a cookie-like sesame crust that I broke down and violated my own rule. Forgive me? It was just 35 measly minutes (they’re so easy!), and though I’m sure I paid for it in A/C bills, these tarlets were so, so worth the risk of sweaty pits. Lucky for you guys, we’re past those dog days of August and almost into full on fall-baking season. (Just one more day until shmumpkin is no longer a curse word around here!)

This beautiful black sesame crust is the stuff dreams are made of. The finely ground black sesame seeds create an almost granite-like appearance that, while perhaps unusual by comparison, adds an exotic feel to what is otherwise a fairly straightforward and classic tart dough.

Being the good half-Italian boy that Steve is, he grew up on his grandmother’s homemade sesame cookies and, at first taste, exclaimed that this crust was reminiscent of the treats of his childhood. So while Italian wasn’t exactly what I was going for here, if you’re a fan your nonna’s cookies, I think this crust easily spans the continental gap and will, for those less adventurous eaters, help you to sashay your way all fancy-like into Asian-inspired desserts. How’s that for a sales pitch?

And then there’s the matcha panna cotta. It’s seductively simple — no baking and just 5 key ingredients — yet still impressive AF due to the perceived fanciness of matcha. Much more impressive than a late-twenty-something home baker trying to spout colloquial acronyms like “the kids these days”, I assure you. Never underestimate how much the addition of a seemingly novel ingredient can elevate even the most uncomplicated of dishes.

Here, matcha’s grassy, lingering sweetness pairs ever-so-gently with the floral notes of local wildflower honey (support your local bee people!) and a slight tang from the greek yogurt base. The resulting dessert is a lightly-sweet and earthy, complex-yet-complimentary marrying of flavors and textures, with the ability to satisfy your after-dinner sweet tooth, without the heaviness of a traditional custard-filled tartlet. They’re a 2015 favorite in my book, for sure. Enjoy!

Black Sesame Tartlet Crust adapted from le jus d’orange

RELATED POSTS:

Matcha Panna Cotta with Hibiscus Gelée + Stovetop Black Sesame Granola Chai Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta with Crunchy Mocha Quinoa & Pomegranate Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry Crumble Topping // Eff the Oven August Coconut Pudding Tarts with Raw Chocolate Macaroon Crust [vegan, gf]