Bolivia Pastelitos De Coco (Coconut Tarts)

Instructions

TO PREPARE THE PASTRY, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour, using a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons water and stir with a fork until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Add more water by droplets if necessary to make the dough stick together. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate 1 hour.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING, combine 1 tablespoon flour, sugar and coconut in a saucepan. Add the cream and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Stir in the butter and simmer 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible point and add the egg yolks, stirring vigorously.

Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

TO ASSEMBLE THE TARTS, roll out the pastry on a floured board to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut it into rounds using a 3 inch cookie cutter. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on half of the rounds and top with the remaining rounds. Press the edges of the pastry together with a fork to seal.

Place the tarts on a buttered baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk and prick with a fork.

Bake in a 425 degrees F. oven 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Author's Comments

Little tarts filled with delicate coconut cream and beautifully glazed are typical of Bolivian sweets.

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