Tarts are transcendent. They are, in Tarts Anon co-owner Gareth Whitton’s opinion, the perfect dessert. You’ll find them in fancy restaurants, you’ll find them in regional bakeries. You’ll find them produced to an exceptional standard in Cremorne and Collingwood at Tarts Anon’s two outlets, and now, thanks to the release of their debut cookbook, you’ll find them in your oven and your fridge whenever inspiration strikes. Here’s Whitton with how to use one of the baking books of the year.
The easiest recipe in the book is probably the cherry and almond tart – and in my opinion, possibly the best, too. The custard tarts (vanilla, chocolate etc.) have the least amount of ingredients and are more fulfilling when executed, but the window of “doneness” is far larger with one of the cake tarts. Plus, they stay nicer a little longer in the fridge.
And if you like to challenge yourself, you might try the lamington. There are a few reasons why this one found its way onto the cover. Making it was a bit of a line-in-the sand moment for us and our identity. And despite it being a flavour that I had actively avoided for a while, it was something that we were so happy with once we got it right. It also (almost by accident) emulates the very essence of the business: familiar, approachable, and super delicious, with a touch of that technical trickery that elevates it to more than a sum of its parts.
No recipe says “let’s celebrate” quite like the St Honoré tart. This is the feather in the Tarts Anon cap: indulgent, glamorous and incredibly delicious. This was a pastry that was inspired by my love for insufferable French classics; I thought it was a good way to channel the Tarts Anon origin story and our roots in old-school cookin’.
And if you’re into, say, savoury tarts, you might just buy the book for the mushroom and parmesan tart. This recipe has found its way onto our counter more than any other savoury tart, and deservedly so. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and I absolutely love it for that. But also how it pleases the most carnivorous of customers. Amazing with truffle, and packed full of so much flavour that it’s worthy of a meal on its own. Which was, funnily enough, the motivation to create it.
The inspiration for Tarts Anon was to capture a collection of recipes that represented the business at the time.
We were still young at this point, and our repertoire only started to really evolve at the time that the book was written.
The pastries in this book reflect the beginning of Tarts Anon: they’re minimalist, sophisticated and technically executed tarts that celebrate the diversity and versatility of the form.
The main thing I learned writing it was that writing good, thorough and concise recipes for chefs to follow isn’t as translatable to the format of cookbook recipes! Trying to articulate my thoughts and philosophies on paper takes a lot more patience, self-reflection and composure than just blabbing on and on to anyone who’s willing to hear it. Taking the time to put together words that are easy to digest and are captivating to the reader is not hugely different to making a considered dish or pastry, but it certainly does amp up the pressure if it’s something that you don’t have much experience in.
Although a huge challenge, working alongside incredible people who are well-versed in this area really softened the blow.
The books I refer to most often when I’m cooking are anything by Cédric Grolet or Yotam Ottolenghi. But my cookbook collection is far too large and diverse to narrow it down to these alone.
If you could take one thing away from reading Tarts Anon, I hope it’s the lessons it has taught me about community and conquering the fear of being pigeonholed. Being celebrated for doing one thing is far more fulfilling than not being celebrated at all – and for this I am eternally grateful. We never set out to prove anything to anyone, but the way that we have been accepted and championed by the people around us has truly been the biggest accomplishment of my career.
Tarts Anon (Hardie Grant, RRP $45) is available now, including from such great Victorian bookstores as Readings, Hill of Content, Paperback Bookshop and Books for Cooks.