Few things are as tantalizing as fresh Spring and summer fruits, especially from a local farmer’s market or even picked fresh from your own garden. Make the most of summers bounty with a Mixed Berry Fruit Tart. At just nine inches in diameter and made with pastry dough for a purely decadent taste, the slightly smaller per person portion size feels perfect for hot summer days while the flavors enhance the lush, fresh fruit flavors.
INGREDIENTS
- * For pastry dough, you’ll need your favorite pate brisee pastry dough recipe ingredients, make 1/2 recipe. If you do not have a go-to pate brisee pastry recipe, click here.
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup red currant jelly, seedless raspberry jam or apricot jam
- 4 cups mixed berries
NOTES
A pre-purchased pastry tart shell can work if it is dense enough and you find a good one, otherwise it diminishes this dessert greatly. An apple pie-type shell won’t work.
For berries, I use what is in season, but blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries make for a colorful, vibrant and pretty tart. None of the flavors of the smaller berries clash, it is fine to mix and match with whatever looks fresh. Strawberries cook at a different rate, stick with the smaller berries for this recipe.
DIRECTIONS
TO MAKE THE TART SHELL
- Roll out dough to 12 inches round, about 1/4-inch thick.
- With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour
- fit dough into a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing into edges.
- Trim dough flush with pan by using a paring knife.
- Chill tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang.
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Weight with a pie weight. Bake until edges are just beginning to turn golden, about 40 minutes.
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Remove parchment paper continue baking until deep golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Cool tart shell completely on wire rack.
While the shell is cooling, make the pastry cream and other components
TO MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM
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Place milk, vanilla bean, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat; cook until almost boiling.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until thickened. Sprinkle in cornstarch and flour and continue beating until well combined.
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Remove vanilla bean from milk. While whisking constantly, slowly pour heated milk mixture into egg-yolk mixture. Pour mixture through a fine sieve back into the saucepan, and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat, until it thickens and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
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Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in butter until melted. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream; refrigerate until completely cooled.
Makes 1 3/4 cups
WHIP CREAM
HOW TO MAKE THE FRUIT GLAZE
- Place jelly or jam in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted and smooth.
- Set glaze aside to cool slightly.
ASSEMBLING THE TART
- Spoon pastry cream mixture into cooled tart shell and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Top with berries; brush berries with glaze.
- Tart is best served the day it is made, refrigerate until served.
Espresso served with only rock candy sweetener makes a nice contrast to this berry tart
