My sweet tooth has been fairly well documented on these pages, I think. Anything with chocolate? Check. Caramel? Check. Cinnamon, cardamom, nuts? Check. The list goes on.
But in recent years, I’ve tried to add more fruity desserts into the mix. This weekend, our son and daughter-in-law were visiting and I discovered my daughter-in-law loves fresh fruit tarts. So, decision easily made. Which was perfect, as I had long been wanting to tackle pastry cream (crème pâtissière, aka creme pat), because frankly, who among us who have watched the Great British Bake Off have not wanted to be able to whip up a creme pat at a moment’s notice? Plus–all those fruits count toward the 30-Plant Challenge, too! It was a win-win.
Note: For a first-time attempt, this tart turned out pretty well. But there are two things I will keep in mind for next time:
1. The original recipe I followed for the creme pat said to cook “until thickened,” which I did, but the pastry cream ended up just a tad soft. What you really must do is gently bring the egg-milk mixture to a boil and hold it there, stirring nonstop, for one minute. That will allow it to set perfectly; I’ve noted this in the revised recipe below. (Not that anyone minded my slightly softer creme pat; the entire tart was gone within 8 hours.)
2. I played with the design of the fruit and settled on a delicate-looking pattern (see all the photos). Next time, I won’t be so delicate. In fact, what you should do is completely cover the creme pat–you should not be able to see it at all. So, overlap the fruit, stand it on end, etc. What you want is a high fruit-to-pastry cream ratio.
With these notes in mind, here is the recipe:
Summer Fruit Tart
–Pastry cream (Crème pâtissière, creme pat):
2 c. whole milk
3/4 c. granulated sugar (if you like things barely sweet, use 1/2 cup; if you like things pretty sweet, use 1 cup)
6 egg yolks
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract (or 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste, or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)*
–Tart crust:
7 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
–Fruit:
4 c. fresh fruit, larger fruits cut into decorative pieces (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mango, kiwi, etc.)
–Glaze:
¼ cup apricot jam (try to scoop out the least chunky bits) + 1 tablespoon water
Preparation:
—Pastry cream:
1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, until it reaches 180 degrees. (If you do not have a thermometer, watch for tiny bubbles to form in the milk, but don’t let the milk come to a full boil or it will scald.) Stir frequently as the milk heats up; you can get through the first part of Step #2 while the milk is beginning to warm up, but the milk will require your full attention — and stirring — as it gets hotter, to prevent scalding. When the milk is at the right temperature, take the saucepan off the stove, and place it on the counter near your work area.
*Note: If you prefer to use a scraped vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract, you can add those to the milk right as you start the heating process, instead of afterward in Step #3.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. (This process is called blanching and helps prevent lumps when you are later cooking the pastry cream.) Whisk in the cornstarch and salt.
Keep whisking the egg mixture, and pour in half of the hot milk that is in the saucepan. When all of the milk is incorporated, whisk in the remaining milk and return to saucepan. (This process tempers the eggs, which prevents them from scrambling; you are doing everything you can to end up with a smooth, delicious pastry cream).
3. Cook the egg/milk mixture on medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and then comes to a boil. This will take a few minutes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cook for 1 minute more, whisking nonstop. Whisk in the vanilla and butter until the butter is melted, then pour the pastry cream into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream, then refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
—Tart crust:
1. Using a) a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or b) an electric mixer, or c) a whisk (ie, by hand, which is what I did), cream the butter and powdered sugar together until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined. Add the flour and baking powder and mix (or combine with a wooden spoon) until the dough comes together. Put a piece of plastic wrap on the counter, scrape the dough onto the plastic wrap, wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough until it’s about 10 inches in diameter. Invert the dough over a 9-inch tart pan, unpeel from the parchment paper, and press the dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim any excess dough.
3. Crinkle up a new piece of parchment paper until it is nice and wrinkly and soft. Place it on top of the dough in the tart pan. Fill the pan with pie weights or dried beans or dried rice; bake for 12 minutes. Carefully lift up the parchment paper and empty the pie weights/beans/rice into a bowl to cool. Prick the base of the tart and return the tart to the oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, until golden brown. Cool completely.
—Fruit Tart:
Fill the cooled tart crust with chilled pastry cream. Arrange the fruit in a decorative pattern. Be generous with the fruit and cover the pastry cream completely (which I did not do in these photos, but will do in the future.)
—Glaze:
In a heat-proof small bowl, stir together the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then stir again; the glaze should have gotten thin enough to spread. (If there are chunky bits in the glaze, strain it through a sieve.) Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with the apricot glaze.
Chill the tart until ready to serve.
Perennial Pastimes 