Hokkaido Cheese Tart

5 from 1 vote

Hokkaido Cheese Tart is a small delight from Hokkaido that is so popular around the world. It is a simple crispy, buttery crust filled with creamy, gooey cheese that’s both sweet and a tiny bit tangy.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dessert, Desserts, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Servings: pcs

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Claudia

Ingredients

Crust

200 gr cake flour
24 gr cornstarch
2 gr salt
60 gr confectionery sugar
116 gr unsalted butter
50 gr egg

Cheese Filling

176 gr cream cheese
60 gr mascarpone
40 gr butter
76 gr cream
50 gr milk
50 gr sugar
16 gr cornstarch
2 egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Eggwash

1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

Instructions

Sift cake flour, cornstarch, and confectioners’ sugar into a bowl; add a pinch of salt. Add the egg and butter. Knead just until the dough comes together, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk cream cheese, mascarpone, heavy cream, and butter until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and mix well. Whisk in egg yolk, milk, and lemon juice.
Whisk cornstarch into the mixture, then cook gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat.
Strain the mixture for an ultra-smooth, gooey cheese filling. Transfer to a piping bag and chill for 1 hour. Divide the chilled dough into 20 even pieces.
Press each portion into greased tart molds to form an even Hokkaido cheese tart crust. Dock the base with a fork. Bake at 180 °C / 356 °F for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and cool slightly, then pipe the chilled filling into each crust.
Fill all tarts completely. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake again at 180 °C / 356 °F for 15–18 minutes, until the surface is lightly browned. Remove from the molds, cool on a rack, and enjoy warm for that signature gooey-center!

Video

Notes

Use a piping bag - Filling the crust is much easier and cleaner this way. Chill the cheese filling for 30 minutes to 1 hour so it’s thicker and less runny when piped.
Dock the crust - Always poke small holes at the bottom of the tart shells with a fork before baking. This prevents the crust from puffing up and keeps it flat and even.
Stay with the saucepan - When heating the cheese mixture, never leave it unattended. Stir continuously with a spatula until the filling thickens to a creamy, smooth texture.
Fix runny filling before eggwash - If the filling feels too soft, skip the eggwash first. Bake the tarts for 5–10 minutes until the surface firms up, then brush with eggwash and continue baking.

Nutrition