In the Bay Area, we are still enjoying a long, mild spring. Normally the hills are already completely dry by now, like a golden carpet of rolling hills, but not this year. Green grasses are still all over. However the temperature is warming up; summer is in the air and local farmers markets are getting plenty of bright summer fruits and vegetables.
Apricot, nectarine and peaches are not very good yet, but strawberries are at their best, and plenty of juicy, tasty cherries are available as well.
Now through early summer is fruit tart season, and I am craving them, especially berry tarts. The classic fruit tart has a crunchy yet sweet, flaky buttery dough, luscious pastry cream and fresh berries that make it not only attractive but irresistibly delicious. Making fruit tarts, small or large, also puts you in a great mood in the kitchen!
Fresh Berry Tart
2017-06-03 15:53:31
Serves 6
Sweet, flaky buttery dough, luscious pastry cream and fresh berries are best in summer, irresitably delicious!
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
- Pâte Sablée (pastry crust)
- 7 ounces (200 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (90 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- Pastry Cream
- (Yield: 3 cups (750 ml)
- 2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (4.5 oz) sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons flour or cornstarch, sifted
- Fresh berries of your choice
Instructions
- Pâte Sablée (pastry crust): Place the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor (or large mixing bowl by hands). Process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. Add the egg (and vanilla if using) and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together, about 20 times. Transfer the pastry to waxed paper. Flatten the dough into a disk or two. Refrigerate about 15 minutes if the dough gets too soft.
- Roll the pâte sablée; dough between 2 sheets of wax paper or on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of slightly less than 1/8 inch (1/5 cm). Fit the pastry, without stretching, into a 9 to 10-inch (removable bottom) tart pan, or into a flan ring that has been placed on a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Trim the edges of the pastry and refrigerate for at least ½ hour.
- Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a pastry-lined tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the shell with parchment paper or lightly buttered aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake until the sides have set, about 10-12 minutes. Carefully remove the paper and beans (or rice), and continue to bake until the shell is pale gold but not yet baked through, about 8-10 minutes or longer. Remove from the oven and wait about 5 minutes, then carefully remove tart pan from sheet pan. Cool on a wire rack completely.
- While resting the dough in the refrigerator, make the pastry cream. Pour the milk into a medium-size saucepan and gently bring to a boil. Add the vanilla extract.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix well the sugar, egg yolks and flour or cornstarch. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook the custard over low-medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard begins to thicken and coats the spatula, about 2 minutes. Immediately strain the custard through a sieve into a bowl set over ice water. Stir the custard until cool. (Storage: Pastry cream will keep up to three days well-chilled.)
- Pour the pastry cream onto the tart shell to about 1/8-inch high. Carefully place your choice of berries on the pastry cream. Brush strained apricot, strawberry or raspberry jam on top.
- I normally use confectioners’ sugar for a fresh raspberry tart, simple syrup for a blueberry tart and raspberry jam for a strawberry tart.
Notes
- Delicious options: use 8 ounces (250 grams) Mascarpone cheese mixed with 1/2 cup lightly whipped cream instead of custardly pastry ceam.
Adapted from Pâtisserie Mulot, via Paris Boulangerie Pâtisserie, by Linda Dannenberg
Adapted from Pâtisserie Mulot, via Paris Boulangerie Pâtisserie, by Linda Dannenberg
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