French Vanilla Tart (Gourmet Edition)
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This 100% vanilla tart has so many different textures: vanilla mousse, vanilla mirror glaze, vanilla ganache, ladyfinger, and French shortcrust!
Actually, all of these individual recipes are very easy to make, and with the right tools, you are ready to make this gourmet tart at home!
For this tart, we used this beautiful and elegant silicone mold from Silikomart that we love!
If you want to learn more about silicone molds, check out our detailed article with our dedicated review video and more recommended silicone molds.
Bon appétit!
Difficulty: 
Prep time: 1 hr / Cook time: 30 mins / Servings: 8 tarts
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Mascarpone Vanilla Mousse
0.8 oz (24ml) - Water
1 tsp (4g) - Gelatin powder
2.1 oz (60g) - Xylitol
0.7 oz (20g) - Corn starch
8.8 oz (250ml) - Milk
1½ tsp (6g) - Vanilla extract
¼ tsp (0.6g) - Vanilla powder
0.8 oz (25g) - Butter
5.25 oz (150ml) - Heavy cream
5.25 oz (150g) - Mascarpone
1 - Egg
1 - Egg yolk
Pâte Sablé (French Shortcrust)
4.2 oz (120g) - Butter
2.8 oz (80g) - Powdered sugar
1 - Egg
1 oz (30g) - Almond flour
½ tsp (3g) - Sea salt
8.5 oz (240g) - All-purpose flour
Ladyfingers
1 - Egg
2 tbsp (30g) - Sugar
0.7 oz (20g) - All-purpose flour
Vanilla Ganache
4.9 oz (140g) - White chocolate
2.5 oz (75ml) - Heavy cream
1 tsp (4g) - Vanilla extract
1 pinch - Vanilla powder
Vanilla Mirror Glaze
1 oz (30g) - Xylitol
½ tsp (1.6g) - Pectin
1.4 oz (40ml) - Heavy cream
2.1 oz (60ml) - Water
1 tsp (4g) - Vanilla extract
1 pinch - Vanilla powder
2.8 oz (80g) - White chocolate
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We advise that you prepare all the above ingredients before starting.
You will typically need: a scale, measuring cups, mixing bowls.
Mascarpone Vanilla Mousse
1 - Mix the gelatin powder and the water into a small mixing bowl and set it aside.
Tip: We store our ingredients in these mixing bowls and mini glass bowls from Duralex while cooking. We love Duralex for their quality products and low prices!
2 - Next, add the whole egg, the egg yolk, and the xylitol to a large bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth.
3 - Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture, whisk until well combined, and set it aside.
4 - Add the milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla powder to a saucepan (or like us a saucier pan). Bring the milk to a boil and gently pour the egg mixture over. Then, whisk rapidly to combine and return the cream to the saucepan.
Tip: All-Clad is the gold standard for professional quality stainless steel cookware. If you want to learn more about All-Clad, check out our detailed article "The Ultimate Buyer's Guide To All-Clad".
5 - Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil while continuously mixing using a silicone whisk. When the cream begins to boil, cook it for about 2 minutes before removing it from the heat.
6 - Next, transfer the cream to a clean bowl, add the butter and whisk until well combined.
7 - Microwave the gelatin for about 15 seconds (or until melted), add it to the cream, and whisk it thoroughly until smooth. Cover it with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Tip: Help the planet by choosing biodegradable food wrap instead of plastic!
8 - After the 6 hours, pour the heavy cream into a clean bowl and whip it until soft peaks using a hand mixer and set it aside.
Tip: We recommend this 7-speed hand mixer from KitchenAid for its quality and elegant design.
9 - Add the cooled vanilla cream with the mascarpone to a stand mixer bowl and whip on medium speed until homogeneous.
Tip: The KitchenAid Artisan Design Series and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series are superstars among stand mixers and will look amazing in your kitchen! For more information, check out our detailed article "The Best KitchenAid Mixers & Blenders".
10 - Next add the whipped cream to the vanilla cream and gently fold until well combined using a silicone spatula. Once homogeneous, transfer the mascarpone vanilla mousse to a piping bag.
11 - Fill up the silicone mold with the vanilla mousse, smooth the surface using an offset spatula, and freeze overnight.
The next day...
Pâte Sablée (French Shortcrust)
1 - Add the butter and powdered sugar to a stand mixer bowl and mix together until creamy, using the paddle attachment.
Tip: The KitchenAid Artisan Design Series and the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series are superstars among stand mixers and will look amazing in your kitchen! For more information, check out our detailed article "The Best KitchenAid Mixers & Blenders".
2 - While continuously mixing, add the egg and mix at full speed until combined.
3 - Once combined, add the almond flour and sea salt to the dough and mix until well combined.
4 - Add all the flour at once and mix until just combined.
5 - Separate the dough in half and place each half between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out thinly using a rolling pin and remove the parchment paper on top.
6 - Next, use the tart ring to cut 9 disks that will be used for the bottom of the tarts, and cut 9 strips using a pizza wheel and a ruler. Place the parchment paper back on top of the dough, transfer it to a baking tray, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
7 - Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C).
8 - Once chilled, remove the top parchment paper and use an offset spatula to unstick the dough from the other parchment paper. Start molding the tarts by placing the strips into the sides of the tart rings. Press gently and cut the excess dough using a sharp knife.
Tip: We love these GrandTies knives and recommend this quality kit from GrandTies. They are made from high-carbon stainless steel and are very versatile. Check out our detailed product review video for more information.
9 - Transfer the tart to a tray lined with parchment paper, place the base of the tarts inside the tart rings and press the dough from the center to the sides of the tart. Then, dig small holes in the bottom of the tarts with a fork and transfer them to a 340°F (170°C) oven to bake for about 20 minutes.
10 - Once baked, let cool for a couple of minutes and remove the tart rings. They should come off easily.
Ladyfingers
1 - Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
2 - Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
3 - Pour the egg yolks with half of the sugar into a stand mixer bowl and whip on full speed for about 6 minutes (or until light and fluffy), using the whisk attachment.
4 - Meanwhile, pour the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and start whipping using a hand mixer. When small bubbles start to form, slowly pour the other half of the sugar while whipping and keep whisking until soft peaks.
5 - Once the egg yolks are nice and fluffy, incorporate them gently into the egg whites, one spatula at a time.
Tip: for this step, we advise you use a silicone spatula. If you use a whisk, you run the risk of breaking all the air bubbles you created earlier.
6 - When the eggs are well combined, sieve the flour in and gently mix with your spatula until well combined.
7 - Place the ladyfinger batter into a piping bag with a tip on.
8 - Place a sheet of parchment paper (or like us silicone mat) on a baking tray and pipe 8 disks of ladyfinger a little smaller than your tart ring, like so. Then, bake them at 350°F (176°C) for about 10 minutes.
9 - Once baked, carefully unstick them from the silicone mat with your offset spatula and set them aside.
Vanilla Ganache
1 - Add the white chocolate to a mixing bowl and microwave it for 1 minute at 30-second intervals. Then, stir the chocolate using a silicone spatula until smooth.
2 - Pour the heavy cream into a small bowl and microwave it for 2 minutes. Pour it over the chocolate, and mix until fully combined.
3 - Next, add the vanilla powder and extract to the ganache, mix thoroughly, and transfer it to a pitcher.
4 - Pour a little bit of ganache into the bottom of each tart, add the ladyfingers, and cover with more ganache until you reached the top. Then, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Vanilla Mirror Glaze
1 - Mix the xylitol and the pectin into a small mixing bowl and set it aside.
2 - Add the heavy cream, water, vanilla extract, and vanilla powder to a saucepan (or like us a saucier pan). Give the mixture a quick mix and bring it to a simmer.
3 - Next, add the xylitol and pectin mixture to the saucepan, mix until the xylitol has completely dissolved, and bring everything to a boil.
4 - Finally, add the white chocolate to a large bowl and pour the hot liquid over it. Then, blend it until homogeneous and transfer it into a pouring jug. The glaze is ready to use when the temperature reaches 86°F (30°C).
Tip: Our must-have hand blender is the Braun Multiquick Technology.
Assembling the Vanilla Tart
1 - Carefully unmold the vanilla mousses and place them on a cooling rack with a baking tray underneath.
2 - Immediately pour the glaze over the mousse and let it drip for a couple of minutes.
3 - Meanwhile, sprinkle some vanilla powder over the tart using a sieve.
4 - Pick up the mousses one at a time with an offset spatula and gently place them on the tarts.
5 - Finally, sprinkle some more vanilla powder over one side of the top of the mousses using a dough scraper to help form a straight line. Let them defrost for about 30 minutes before tasting.
6 - Enjoy!
Watch our video for more details!
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Disclaimer: baking/cooking times vary according to each appliance. Make sure to always control halfway through for success.
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🎬 Everything we used for this recipe:
🍶 Kitchenware: Coming soon!
🍳 Ingredients: Coming soon!
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The information provided in this recipe is not nutritional or medical advice. Please read our disclaimer.