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Fresh Fruit Tart

My absolute favorite fruit tart with thick pastry cream, flaky crust and a variety of fruits. Don't be intimidated by this recipe. Both the tart and pastry cream can be made ahead of time and assembled right before serving.
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Course Dessert
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
  • Pie weights or dried beans

Ingredients
  

Pastry Cream

  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Tart

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsp butter, cubed and chilled

Fruit and Glaze

  • 2 large kiwis
  • 1 1/2 cup berries of your choice
  • 1/4 cup apple jelly

Instructions
 

Pastry Cream

  • In a medium saucepan, bring half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of sugar and salt to simmer over medium heat.
  • As mixture simmers, whisk yolks, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until smooth.
  • Slowly whisk 1 cup of half-and-half mixture into yolk mixture to temper and them slowly whisk back into half-and-half mixture in saucepan.
  • Cook, whisking vigorously until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla.
  • Transfer to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until chilled and firm (at least 3 hours or up to 2 days)

Tart

  • In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, milk and vanilla.
  • In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Pulse for 5 seconds. Scatter butter cubes over top and pulse 12-15 times.
  • With processor running, add egg mixture and process until dough comes together--about 10-15 seconds.
  • Turn dough onto plastic wrap. Flatten into a 6 inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 days--freeze up to 1 month. Remove dough from refrigerator 10 minutes before ready to roll out.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 11-inch circle. Place dough on baking sheet, cover with plastic and return to refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator and roll dough onto a 9-inch tart pan. Ease dough into pan and press into flutes and bottom of pan. Run the rolling pin over the top of the pan to remove excess dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes (or up to 1 month)
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place tart pan on rimmed baking sheet. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray, and fill with weights.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove foil and weights and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until tart is fully baked and golden brown. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 1 hour.

Fruit and Glaze

  • Spread chilled pastry cream into cooled tart shell (you won't use all of the cream). Shingles kiwis around edge of tart and fill with berries.
  • In a small saucepan, heat jelly until melted. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush fruit.
  • To serve, remove outer ring and slide tart from pan bottom to serving platter.

Notes

  • Once assembled, tart should be eaten within about an hour.  The crust may become soggy if it sits much longer.  
  • If you do not have pie weights, fill foil lined tart pan with 1 pound of dried beans before baking.