Tart (n) -- any ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend (or a prostitute, according to Webster's)
Tart (n) -- fruity deliciousness wrapped in pastry for easy consumption
Making fruit tarts was a double dog dare proposed by me, myself and I. Basically I just wanted to see if I could do it without screwing it up horribly since the last time I made pastry cream it was so rubbery it bounced. Fortunately I made it on a night where I was in charge of dessert for 10 people so it really went over a storm...not.
Anyway, these fruit tarts actually turned out incredibly well and though there are a lot of steps involved, if you go slowly and take your time there's no reason even an inexperienced baker couldn't make these with moderate success. The key is to not overwork the pastry dough (which you already know) and when it comes to the pastry cream, when in doubt take it off the heat so it doesn't congeal into an inedible mess. Making pastry cream is pretty similar to making the custard base for ice cream so if you had success with that you'll probably be fine this time too.
These are super fancy looking once you're all done and a great way to use up those 9 random blackberries sitting in your fridge. The pastry dough recipe is my great-grandmothers and she was the queen of freakin' pies. Totally legendary in our family. You'll see a lot of different variations throughout the cooking world including those that call for butter and shortening or just plain old lard. And just so you know, shortening is truly awful for you, definitely worse than butter. But my great-grandma was baking when there were butter rations so Crisco it was. And I personally think you get a lighter and flakier texture with butter-flavored Crisco (now rumored to contain carcinogenic ingredients, just like the rest of my favorite things in life). This will make enough for one 10-inch tart or several 4-inch tarts. Be sure to use tart pans with a removable base.
But without further ado...fruit tarts:
Ingredients:
For the flaky pastry crust:
9 tbs. Crisco, cold
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbs. ice water
For the pastry cream:
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract (plus beans from 1/2 vanilla bean if you have one)
1/2 c. plus 1 tbs. sugar
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1/4 c. cornstarch
For the topping:
Assorted summer fruits (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries)
1/3 c. apricot jam
To make the pastry dough:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt and whisk to combine.
2. Cut the Crisco into 1-inch squares and scatter evenly over the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two dinner knives, cut the shortening into the flour until the Crisco becomes about pea-sized and is incorporated into the flour. Every so often, sprinkle some of the ice water over the mixture. You don't need to use all of it, just enough to moisten so it comes together.
3. When the shortening is uniformly integrated into the flour mixture, gather it into a ball. Sprinkle with a little more ice water if it isn't sticking together. Wrap tightly in Saran and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
To make the pastry cream:
1. Bring the milk to simmer in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add the vanilla.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth.
3. When the milk comes to a simmer (small bubbles around the edge of the pot), stir half of it into the egg mixture.
4. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan containing the rest of the milk, place over medium heat and stir the mixture with a whisk or wooden spoon. Reach into the corners of the saucepan so the pastry cream doesn't hang out there and scald.
5. When the pastry cream comes to a boil (large bubbles breaking the surface of the liquid) and thickens, transfer it to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching its surface so a crust doesn't form.
6. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To loosen stiff pastry cream, whisk by hand or on low speed in a mixer.
To assemble:
1. Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator and unwrap from the saran. Place the ball of dough between two large pieces of waxed paper and roll to 1/8 inch thickness.
2. For the 10-inch tart pan, cut a large enough circle (about 13-14 inches) so that the pastry dough hangs over the sides of the pan. It will shrink down when you bake it. For the smaller tart pans, a 5-6 inch diameter should be fine.
3. Bake the dough at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until the dough has turned a golden brown and puffed up in the center.
4. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the pastry dough into each tart pan after they have cooled for 5 minutes and smooth with a wooden spoon or spatula. For a full size tart, you will probably use all of the pastry cream.
5. Let the pastry cream sit for about 10 minutes before you begin pressing the fruit into it so it doesn't sink. Arrange the fruit any way you want, it'll just get eaten in the very near future.
6. While the pastry cream is setting up, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan over low to medium heat until it is liquid. Set a small strainer over a bowl and pour the liquid apricot through to ensure there are no chunks of fruit. Using a pastry brush or a silicone grilling brush, lightly glaze the top of the fruit and let sit for about 10 more minutes until dry. Serve immediately.
This is too funny but sounds good.
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