With summer just around the corner, I’m pulling out my favorite desserts that celebrate the flavors of the season, which means that anything piled high with fresh juicy berries makes it right to the top of my baking list. This fresh fruit tart filled with vanilla pastry cream is simple light and delicious – all components can be made in advance and assembled right before serving. Feel free to use any combination of fresh fruits you like – peaches, apricots, and kiwi work very well on this delicious dessert!

*This recipe makes two 8 to 9 inch tarts. If you are making only one tart, you can freeze the dough well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to one month and thaw completely prior to using. Any leftover pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator with the plastic wrap directly on the custard for up to five days. Alternatively, you can reduce the quantity of the ingredients by half.

For the Pastry

Ingredients:

• 500 grams all-purpose flour
• 1/4th teaspoon salt
• 225 grams unsalted butter (about 1 stick), cubed and at room temperature
• 110 grams icing sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon of cold water

Instructions:

First, put your flour in a large bowl and combine with salt. Lightly combine ingredients together. Set aside.

Meanwhile, put your butter and sugar  in another bowl and mix the ingredients until just combined using an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Gradually add half the flour mixture, and pulse to combine. Add the water with the remaining flour. Pulse until the mixture holds together.

Wrap your dough tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rest for thirty minutes, and up to one hour.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celcius (350 Fahrenheit).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit until it is pliable. Roll until approximately 1/8th of an inch thick on a lightly-floured surface.

Roll the dough

Carefully place the rolled dough on top of your mould and push the pastry onto the bottom and sides of the moulds. You can use your rolling pin or a blunt knife to cut off the excess pastry on the rim.

For the pastry cream:

• 9 large egg yolks
• 4 cups full-fat milk
• 220 grams caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 80 grams corn starch
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out, you can substitute 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract but add only after your pastry cream has been cooked
• 500 grams fresh berries – raspberries, strawberries and blueberries work beautifully
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam, heated and strained through a sieve

Instructions

Place the milk and vanilla bean pod with seeds into a saucepan. Heat until scalding (approximately 165 degrees F if using a candy thermometer).

While your milk is heating, beat the eggs for one minute with an electric mixer. Slowly add the sugar. Continue to beat until the mixture develops a pale yellow color. This should take about five minutes.

Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture and beat on high speed for one minute.

Add a ladle full of hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk. Pour that mixture into the remaining milk. This is your pastry cream. Cook the pastry cream on medium low heat, stirring constantly (I mean CONSTANTLY unless you want scrambled eggs). Use a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula do stir.

Once the mixture starts boiling (you’ll see thick, popping hollow circles forming in the pastry cream) continue to cook for about one minute or until thick. Quickly stir in the vanilla extract.

Strain the pastry cream into a bowl using a fine mesh strainer and discard the vanilla bean.. You can skip this step if the pastry cream is very smooth and lump free. If you are using vanilla extract, stir it in now.

Let cool to room temperature.

To Assemble:

Spoon the cooled pastry cream into the baked tart shell. Arrange the berries on top. Brush the berries with apricot jam if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Ingredients from Les Gastronomes