Tourment d’Amour

This Guadeloupean pastry pairs a crisp, buttery crust with a softly set coconut filling.

Published on January 21, 2026

Few dishes are more specific to the French Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe than the tropical fruit tart known as tourment d’amour, or “love’s torment.” The name refers to the agony the local fishermen’s wives endured while their husbands spent long, dangerous days at sea. The dessert originated in Les Saintes, a group of the smallest islands in Guadeloupe, where the majority of residents make their living from the ocean. The story goes that the women, wracked with worry as they prayed for their husbands’ safe returns, channeled their nerves into cooking and baking. Bringing together a rich pâte brisée base, a bright tropical fruit filling (coconut is classic but guava and pineapple are also common), and an airy génoise topping, the tart is both French-influenced and undeniably Caribbean.

This recipe comes from Cillette Appolinaire, a resident of Terre-de-Haut in Les Saintes, who’s been baking and selling tourment d’amour from her home for decades. At 76 years old, she still makes the single-serving pastries from scratch and grates coconuts by hand for the filling. This adapted recipe makes a larger-format tart, perfect for a picnic, dinner party, or any time you want to bake your way to the Caribbean.

Serves
8–10
Time
65 minutes, plus cooling and chilling time

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Ben Weiner

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all‑purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the coconut jam:

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sugar
Kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly grated lime zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste (optional)

For the génoise:

¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste (optional)
⅓ cup plus 1½ tsp. all-purpose flour

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Scatter the butter over the surface and, using your fingertips or a bench scraper, incorporate it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal with some larger butter pieces still visible. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture and, using a fork or your hands, begin to bring the dough together. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just holds when pressed—it shouldn’t be sticky. Form the dough into a flat disk, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2

Make the coconut jam: To a medium pot over medium heat, add the coconut, sugar, a pinch of salt, and ¾ cup of water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens, pulls away from the sides of the pot, and has a glossy, jam‑like texture, 8–10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lime zest and vanilla if desired, then set aside to cool completely.

Step 3

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9‑inch tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing into the corners. Trim any excess dough, then prick the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest and prevent shrinking.

Step 4

Line the tart shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the weights and paper and continue baking until the crust is pale golden, 4–6 minutes more. Set aside to cool slightly, leaving the oven on.

Step 5

Assemble the filling: Spread the coconut jam over the shell in an even layer, smoothing the surface with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Step 6

Make the génoise: To a large bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Using a hand mixer, beat on high until the mixture triples in size, becomes pale and thick, and leaves ribbons when the whisk is lifted, 8–10 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, fold in a pinch of salt and the vanilla if desired. Sift about a third of the flour over the egg mixture, then gently fold in with the spatula. Continue sifting the remaining flour over the egg mixture in two batches, folding gently after each addition until just incorporated.

Step 7

Pour the génoise over the coconut layer, gently spreading until it completely covers the jam and sits evenly in the pan. (The batter should not come up too high or it will rise and create a dome effect, covering the outer tart crust.) Bake until the génoise is set and light golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (be careful not to prod too much or it may deflate), about 20 minutes.

Step 8

Carefully transfer the tart to a wire rack and set aside to cool, then cut into wedges and serve.

Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Scatter the butter over the surface and, using your fingertips or a bench scraper, incorporate it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal with some larger butter pieces still visible. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture and, using a fork or your hands, begin to bring the dough together. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just holds when pressed—it shouldn’t be sticky. Form the dough into a flat disk, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Make the coconut jam: To a medium pot over medium heat, add the coconut, sugar, a pinch of salt, and ¾ cup of water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens, pulls away from the sides of the pot, and has a glossy, jam‑like texture, 8–10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the lime zest and vanilla if desired, then set aside to cool completely.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9‑inch tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing into the corners. Trim any excess dough, then prick the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest and prevent shrinking.
Line the tart shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the weights and paper and continue baking until the crust is pale golden, 4–6 minutes more. Set aside to cool slightly, leaving the oven on.
Assemble the filling: Spread the coconut jam over the shell in an even layer, smoothing the surface with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Make the génoise: To a large bowl, add the sugar and eggs. Using a hand mixer, beat on high until the mixture triples in size, becomes pale and thick, and leaves ribbons when the whisk is lifted, 8–10 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, fold in a pinch of salt and the vanilla if desired. Sift about a third of the flour over the egg mixture, then gently fold in with the spatula. Continue sifting the remaining flour over the egg mixture in two batches, folding gently after each addition until just incorporated.
Pour the génoise over the coconut layer, gently spreading until it completely covers the jam and sits evenly in the pan. (The batter should not come up too high or it will rise and create a dome effect, covering the outer tart crust.) Bake until the génoise is set and light golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (be careful not to prod too much or it may deflate), about 20 minutes.
Carefully transfer the tart to a wire rack and set aside to cool, then cut into wedges and serve.

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