Classic Fruit Tart
The secret to a professional tart is not the fruit; it is the temperature of the dough. Keep the butter cold until it hits the oven, and you will get a shell that shatters like glass under your fork.
Mastering the blind bake
The crust must be completely cooled before you add the cream, or the heat will turn your custard into a puddle. Do not rush the chilling stages of the dough.
- 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom
- Rolling pin
- Whisk
- Fine mesh sieve
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights or dried beans
What goes in.
- 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour
- 0.5 cupchilled unsalted butter, cubed
- 0.3 cuppowdered sugar
- 1egg
- 1.5 cupswhole milk
- 3egg yolks
- 0.3 cupgranulated sugar
- 2 tbspcornstarch
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- Variousseasonal fresh fruit like berries, kiwi, or stone fruit
- 2 tbspapricot preserves, warmed and strained
Weight the dough
Line the unbaked shell with parchment and fill it to the brim with weights. This forces the dough to hold its shape against the pan walls rather than slumping down during the first ten minutes of heat.
The method.
Prepare the crust
Pulse flour, sugar, and cold butter until it looks like coarse sand. Add the egg and pulse until it just clumps. Press into the pan, prick the bottom with a fork, and chill for 30 minutes.
Blind bake
Bake at 375°F (190°C) with weights for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake for another 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool completely.
Make pastry cream
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and yolks. Bring milk to a simmer, then slowly temper it into the egg mixture. Return to the pot and whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens into a pudding texture. Stir in vanilla, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill until cold.
Assemble
Spread the cold cream into the cooled shell. Arrange fruit in concentric circles. Brush the strained apricot glaze over the fruit to provide a protective, glossy seal.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Curd Tart
Replace pastry cream with a sharp lemon curd and top with blueberries.
Nutty Crust
Replace a quarter of the flour with finely ground almond flour for a deeper, earthier base.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If your dough cracks while pressing it into the pan, just use your fingers to patch it; the butter will fuse it back together in the oven.
Strain your pastry cream through a sieve before chilling to catch any stray bits of cooked egg, ensuring a perfectly smooth texture.
Pat your fruit dry with a paper towel before placing it on the cream to prevent the tart from becoming soggy.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I make this a day in advance?
The crust will lose its crispness if kept in the fridge overnight with the cream inside. It is best to bake the shell and make the cream a day ahead, but assemble the tart no more than two hours before serving.
How do I know the pastry cream is done?
It will thicken visibly and you will see a few slow, large bubbles erupt on the surface. That is the signal to pull it off the heat immediately.
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