This week we’re focusing on things that make us smile. The Greatest Kid On The Planet sums up the good things in life into what he calls The Four Fs: Family, Friends, Football, and Food. With his first football game of the season coming up on Saturday, he’s so excited he can barely stand it. So, to help him get through the week, I made one of his favorites. We’ve just about eaten our weight in fresh fruit this summer, and we’re still not finished, but now it’s time for something sweet. This Fresh Fruit Tart made with vanilla pastry cream is absolutely decadent. It’s the perfect treat to celebrate any season.
There are a number of fruit tart recipes that use a mascarpone cream for the filling, but I love the pasty cream in this tart. It’s easy to make and absolutely amazing. It’s a testament to my will power that it actually makes it into the tart. It’s that good! You’ll find this recipe featured on Michelle Lettrich‘s wonderful food blog, Brown Eyed Baker. Her blog is definitely one you’ll want to visit if you like to bake. I love that she has a motto about eating dessert first. She would fit in well around here!
One of the things I love about this recipe is that I don’t have to make it all in one day. I made the pastry cream yesterday and let it chill in the refrigerator over night. Then I made the crust this morning, and by this afternoon, it had cooled, and I was ready to put it all together. Just in time for The Greatest Kid to walk in the door!
Here is what you’ll need for the Pastry Cream:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
A pinch of salt (optional)
5 egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To make the Pastry Cream:
Whisk your egg yolks together in a medium-sized bowl until they’re thoroughly combined.
Then heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt (if desired) in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s simmering. You’ll want to stir this occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
Once your mixture has begun to simmer, mix in the remaining sugar (2 tablespoons) and whisk it all together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Then mix in the cornstarch and continue to stir until it thickens.
When the half-and-half mixture reaches a full simmer, slowly add it into your egg yolks, whisking it continually as you do. You’ll want to do this very slowly so as to temper your eggs.
Once you’ve added all of the half-and-half to your egg yolks, you can return it to your saucepan and bring it back to a simmer over medium heat. Keep whisking as it heats up. Let it simmer for a brief 30 seconds until it’s thick, then take it off the heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Whisk all of this together until it’s thoroughly combined.
Lastly, strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl. Now it’s ready to go into the refrigerator to chill. Pressing some plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream while it refrigerates will prevent a skin from forming.
Three to four hours is usually enough to chill this cream, but I like to chill it for a full day. I like the consistency the cream gets after chilling over night, and I think it gives the flavors time to blend.
For the Crust you’ll need:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
To make the Crust:
Whisk the yolk, cream, and vanilla together in a small bowl.
Then with a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Spread the butter pieces around the flour and use the food processor to cut the butter and blend it into the mixture. With the food processor running, slowly add in the egg mixture and let it run until the dough is mixed together evenly. Form a ball and wrap your dough tightly in plastic wrap. Then let it chill in the refrigerate for at least one hour. Cold dough is easier to work with, and it holds its shape better during baking, so give it time to chill.
When your dough is ready, roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper and transfer it to your tart pan. Press it evenly into the pan so it fits nicely into the sides. Use a fork to poke holes into the bottom of the dough and then put it back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill before baking.
Put your tart pan with your crust on a baking sheet and preheat your oven to 375°. Line the bottom of the crust with aluminum foil and fill it with pie weights. The pie weights will prevent your crust from losing its shape while it’s baking, so don’t forget them! Bake your crust for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. Then carefully remove the foil and the pie weights and return the crust to the oven to bake another 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Set your crust on a wire rack and give it plenty of time to cool before adding the pastry cream. This is usually the part where The Greatest Kid starts to get really impatient.
When your crust has cooled, you’re ready to fill it with your pastry cream and go to town with your favorite fruits. We don’t stand on a lot of ceremony around here, and The Greatest Kid On The Planet is happy to simply heap the tart high with all kinds of berries. I like kiwi, so we compromise.
What I love about this fruit tart is that it’s perfect with any kind of fruit, so it works for any time of the year and whatever is in season. And, simply put, it’s just sinfully delicious! Give it a try and let us know what you think!
So, now we’ve covered the food part of our favorite things. And family and friends are always close by. Now, we’re ready for some football!
Have a great weekend!
M.C. Greene