Tarts are baked pastries that are round-shaped with a shallow wall around the entire base. Tarts are usually made with a light and flaky pastry dough or a dense and crumbly shortcrust. These dishes are created with an open crust, allowing the dish to give easier access to filings such as custards, chocolate, fruits, creams, or any other delicious fillings that can be served warm. Tarts create a unique blend of flavour and texture where some variations first bake and prepare the shell which is then served cold.
Tarts can also be baked together with fillings and shells in many variations, however, despite the differences in recipes, all tarts follow a signature style where the tart is filled and kept open without a top crust.
History of tarts
The origins of tarts start in France as the dish’s title holds ‘tarte’, a French word that translates to pie. The first tart was made in around 1550 as a variation for pies which have been popular in Europe for the past 200 years. These tarts were associated with royalty and affluent elements of society as pies were popular amongst commoners, making tarts a noble version of pies. In the beginning, the distinguishing feature of tarts was the use of meat as fillings.
Over time, more ingredients like custard and fruits were popularly used as fillings. Around this time, chocolate became popular in Europe and was eventually used to create a chocolate tart.
What are chocolate and lemon tarts?
Amongst various tarts, chocolate and lemon-flavoured tarts are the most popular. Let us understand why:
Chocolate tart
It is a delicious and savoury chocolate ganache surrounded by a crisp butter pastry shell, topped with rice crisps. This dish uses ingredients like sugar, flour, butter, chocolate, and dairy cream. It also does not require eggs, making it a perfect chocolaty dish for pure vegetarians. This dish has a yummy chocolaty flavour complemented by the buttery pastry shell, making it popular amongst all age groups.
Lemon tart
It is filled with rich and creamy lemon curd wrapped in golden brown butter pasty shell. The dish uses lemon, whipped cream, flour, eggs, butter, edible colour, and condensed milk. It also possesses low sugar content and is a great snack option for people that like less sugary dishes. A lemon tart is a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavours and is popular amongst those who prefer less sugar or the rare group of people that dislike chocolate.
Differences between chocolate and lemon tarts
- Chocolate tarts are sweeter and boast of rich flavour than lemon tarts. The latter has a blend of sweet and tangy flavours making them mildly sweet.
- Historically, the earliest records for chocolate tart recipes were found around 1747 but were in usage much earlier while lemon tarts were used around the 18th century.
- Chocolate tart recipes are less healthy than lemon tarts as the former uses more cream, sugar, and butter than lemon tart.