Lilac Coconut Cream Tarts

I have a little obsession with edible flowers (you may have noticed). I like marmalade made with dandelions, and semifreddos peppered with rose petals, daylilies turned into fritters, and then theres lilacs. Sumptuous, intoxicating lilacs.

Theres just something magical about cooking with fragrant colorful blooms and when its spring time, feasting on flowers feels like a fitting way to celebrate the world springing back to life after a long winter.

This recipe is delicate and delightful. Yes, it does requires a bit of time. (Though you can always cheat a bit and use store-bought tart shells to save time. Dont tell anyone I said that). But the time you put into these is going to be enchanting and worthwhile.

I experimented quite a bit to get these right. I incorporated lilac sugar, lilac-infused milk and cream, made candied lilacs and lilac syrup, all in an effort to see what would most fully capture the potent aroma of that irresistible flower. In the end, the most successful experiment was the lilac whipping cream. The cream really seemed to absorb the lilacs perfume. The candied lilacs are an optional garnish, but a lot of fun to make.

I initially struggled a bit with my tart shells because tart dough is notorious for shrinking while it bakes and I am stubborn about not wanting to use pie weights. I wanted an easy recipe that would bake nicely in a simple muffin tin.

In the end, I found that a shortbread dough worked best, keeping its shape very well, especially if placed in the freezer before baking. Its also incredibly delicious to eat, yielding a light buttery cookie-like tart base. I used a muffin tin, but if you have them, you could certainly use fancy fluted tart molds to create something more dainty. Either way enjoy!

Happy spring to you all!

Aube is a passionate organic gardener and home cook who likes to share the stories of how food gets to our dinner plates. Her work has been shown on television and at international film festivals. Her web series has been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog award in the video category.