I love L.O.V.E. love pretty desserts. It’s totally eye catching and sometimes you find yourself hopelessly staring at your dreamy desserts. It’s the magic spell of sweet treats – they lure you with their good looks and drive you insane with their taste. There has been so much gorgeous summer fruit that I pick up at the Farmers’ market that I had to highlight with this fresh berry tart.
This recipe requires a bit of prep work, but it is totally worth the effort. Prepare the tart dough the night before if you want to bake it early in the day. It’s nice and flaky and rolls out quite easily. My secret trick for rolling pastry dough: sprinkle powdered sugar on the surface instead of flour. The powdered sugar sweetens it a tiny bit.The tart dough does make enough for two, but you can always freeze it for later. It doesn’t really take any extra effort, so why not!?!
The vanilla pastry cream is the magic glue to this dessert. It’s similar to a sweet vanilla pudding and pairs perfectly with any assortment of fruit. It’s creamy and not too sweet. I had a gorgeous selection of fresh fruits of blackberries, yellow and red raspberries, blueberries, and fresh figs. You can use whatever fruits you have on hand, and arrange them however you please. I loved the arrangement of this fresh fruit tart because it’s almost like eating a rainbow of colors. It’s a fantastic dessert to savor those last days of summer.
Happy Sweet Friday!
Fresh Berry Tart
Adapted from Blissfully Delicious
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Pate sucree (Tart Dough):
2 ½ cups flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup ice water
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
Vanilla pastry cream:
4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
For the tart:
½ recipe of the pate sucree
1 recipe of the vanilla pastry cream
4 pints of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or other fruits of your choices
Preparation:
Prepare the pate sucree
In the food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add butter, and process just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Slowly add the egg yolks, and process just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; about 30 seconds. Test dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water.
Divide dough in half. Pat into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least one hour.
Vanilla pastry cream
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), and salt. Cook over medium heat until mixture just comes to a simmer.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs yolks, cornstarch, and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about ½ cup hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Continue to temper the eggs with the milk mixture, constantly whisking until it has all been incorporated.
Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.
Pour pastry cream into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface (so it doesn’t form a skin). Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Just before using, whisk until smooth.
For the tart
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll one disc of dough onto a lightly floured surface into about ⅛ inch thickness. Slowly fit dough into a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
Pierce bottom of shell all over with fork, and bake until crust begins to color, approximately 12-14 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the tart:
Fill the tart shell with vanilla pastry cream, spread it out evenly. Arrange the fruits of your choice on top.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Review: Gorgeous and scrumptious. You can cut the above recipe in half to make enough dough for one fruit tart. I made the whole thing and put half of the dough in the freezer for the future (up to a month). It’s always helpful to roll out some pastry dough when you need it. ;-)
