Berry Fruit Tart

 After making peach tarts a few times already this summer, my hubby requested that we try a fresh berry tart.  This recipe from The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet was exactly what I wanted to make, but with its cream filling, it definitely seemed more complicated than my peach tart recipe.

The part I doubted most was making the vanilla pastry cream. Heating milk and eggs and making a custard can be a tricky, disastrous endeavor, when the eggs scramble and the milk curdles. Luckily this didn't happen.  Making the custard was easier and faster than I imagined.  And it tastes amazing.  There's nothing like real vanilla bean to make a dessert wonderful.

The only pitfall of the dessert was cutting into it. The pastry cream was a pudding-consistency that was runny and did not slice cleanly.  But it tasted great.

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)

1.5 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

6 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 Tbsp butter (recipe called for 2 Tablespoons, but I cut it to 1/4 of that)

1) Freeze a medium/large bowl in the freezer (or set the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water).

2) Pour milk into medium saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.  Scrape the seeds into the milk, then add the pod to the milk.  Heat until the mixture begins to simmer (below boiling) and remove from the heat.

(If using vanilla extract instead of bean, do not add it yet).

3) In a medium bowl, whisk egg, egg yolks, and sugar.  Add the flour and whisk until very smooth.  Pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks.  Then slowly pour the yolk mixture back into the hot milk, whisking constantly.

4) Heat the milk/egg mixture, whisking constantly until it reaches a boil.  Continue to cook for another minute until the pastry cream becomes very thick (this happens fast!). Remove from heat and whisk in butter (also add vanilla extract if didn't use a vanilla bean).

Instructions say to strain the cream through a strainer, but it was too thick and un-liquidy to do that.

5) Scrape the pastry cream into the chilled bowl.  Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the cream (to prevent the top from hardening), then chill in the refrigerator.

Milk and eggs with vanilla bean pod and seeds

Heat the pastry cream to a simmer

Whisking

Thickened pastry cream

Vanilla Shortbread Crust

6.25 oz (1.25 cups) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick (4 oz) cold, unsalted butter, cut into  1/2" pieces

2 large egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 teaspoon water

1) Place flour, sugar, salt in food processor and pulse to blend.  Add the cold butter and pulse 6-8 times.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla, and 1 tsp water.  Add to the food processor and blend until dough forms small clumps (5-10 seconds).  If too crumbly, add 1 tsp water.

2) Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, and knead 2-3 times.  Shape into a disk, 6" in diameter.  If dough is sticky, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.  If dough gets too cold and hard, allow it to sit at room temperature 10-12 minutes before rolling.

3) Place dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll into 11" round.  Invert  into tart pan.

 (Refrigerate 1 hour before baking -- skipped this step).

4) Preheat oven to 375 and position rack in bottom 1/3 of oven.  Line chilled tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights (I use rice).  Bake the shell for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and lift off the foil and pie weights.  Return shell to the oven to bake for ~ 10 minutes.  

(Recipe advised to check for cracks at this point then bake for another 10-15 minutes, but I stopped baking after a total of ~30 minutes)

Crumbled Pastry dough

Flattened dough

Baked tart shell

Assemble the tart

2 oz of semisweet chocolate

1 recipe of vanilla bean pastry cream

1/2 pint (6 oz) blackberries

1/2 pint (6 oz) blueberries

1/2 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 Tablespoons raspberry jam

2 tsp water

Moisture-Proof the Tart:  Melt chocolate in microwave for 20 second intervals at 50-60% power, until smooth.  Scrape the melted chocolate into the cooled tart shell and spread it into a thin layer across the bottom.  Chill for 10 minutes.

Fill the Tart:  Spoon the pastry cream into the tart crust and spread into an even layer. Arrange the berries on top of the pastry cream.

Finish the Tart:  Heat the jam and water in small saucepan or microwave until melted.  Brush melted jam over the tops of the berries.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Helper kitchen cat