Food || Fruit Tart

May 26, 2014

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you have some fun plans today. As promised here is the recipe for the Fruit Tart. It was easy to make and a big hit. Perfect for summer because its nice and light. The shell is delish!

The salt and pepper shakers are from here if you were curious. I got two sets for each end of the table. So cute.

Fruit Tart (Ina Garten from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

Tart Shell

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt

Pastry Cream
6 extra-large egg yolks at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used just one)
1 teaspoon Cognac or brandy (if desired)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Tart Shell

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch round or 9-inch square false-bottom tart pan, making sure the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.

Butter one side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of the fork, and bake again for 20 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Pastry Cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is light yellow and falls back into the bowl in a ribon. On low speed, beat the cornstarch. Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan and, with the mixer in low, slowly pour it into the egg mixture. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat 2 to 3 more minutes. Taste to be sure the cornstarch is cooked. Remove from the heat, mix in the butter, vanilla, cream, and Cognac and strain into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

After filling the tart with the pastry cream group each fruit to make a casual arrangement. Place the larger fruit first and then spill the berries.

Fruits

Select from the following list: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, pears, kiwi, mangoes, papayas, fresh figs, bananas, plums, limes and lemons, apricots.

Note** The tart shell can be baked a day ahead, and the tart can be assembled a few hours before serving. Never refrigerate a baked shell or a finished tart.

What are some good and light dessert recipes you count on for summer get-togethers?

[photos by AC]