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Classic Fruit Tart

A glazed fresh fruit tart filled to the top with berries.

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3 from 2 reviews

There is nothing more classic than a fresh Fruit Tart. While impressive looking, this tart is actually quite easy to put together. It starts with a crisp and sweet pastry shell, that is then filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and topped with an assortment of fresh fruit. It can be glazed for the final finishing touch or left as is. Either way, this is a show-stopping dessert welcome at any dinner or gathering.

Ingredients

For Pastry:

  • 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (50 grams) almond flour
  • ⅓ cup (40 grams) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg, whisked together

For Pastry Cream:

  • 1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (21 grams) cornstarch
  • Pinch salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 cups (480 grams) whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) unsalted butter

To Assemble:

  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves (optional for glaze)
  • 2 tablespoons water (optional for glaze)
  • Assorted fresh fruit

Instructions

Make and Bake the Tart Pastry:

  1. Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, powdered sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process for 30 seconds to combine. Add in the butter and pulse 5 times. With the motor running pour in the egg and let the dough process until the dough forms together into a cohesive ball around the blade.
  2. Scrape the dough from the bowl and place it in a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk and wrap tightly. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it stretches to the corner of the plastic wrap to ensure a tight seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight, before use.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF
  4. Roll out the dough to a rough 11" circle and place inside of a 9" tart pan. Pierce the bottom of the pastry with a fork to allow the steam to escape when baking. Place the pastry in the freezer for 10-30 minutes, while the oven preheats to 375ºF. 
  5. Line the pastry with a round piece of parchment paper and then add pie weights to fill (or dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push pie weights to the edges. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack, then remove from oven and remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes for a partial blind bake or about 10 minutes for a full blind bake. If the edges start to brown at any point cover them with pieces of aluminum foil.
  6. Remove from the oven and let cool entirely.

Make the Pastry Cream:

  1. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks and milk until fully combined. 
  2. Turn on the heat to medium and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, and occasionally taking a spatula and scraping up any thickened cream in the edges of the pan. Cook until the pudding has completely thickened and large bubbles are forming and popping, about 5-8 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat; immediately pour the cream through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, using a spatula to push all the pudding out while leaving behind any bits of cooked egg.
  4. Whisk the butter and the vanilla extract (or scrape the vanilla bean) into the pastry cream until fully combined.
  5. Pour the cream into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of the cream. Let cool at room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Assemble the Tart:

  1. If you are planning to glaze your tart, make the glaze by heating up the apricot preserves with water until bubbly. Strain the mixture and set aside. It should be slightly warm when you are glazing your fruit, so if it cools down you can gently heat it up again.
  2. Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator and whisk together until smooth and silky. Pour into the baked pastry shell and smooth over the top.
  3. Place the fruit as desired on top of the pastry cream.
  4. Glaze the fruit by brushing a thin layer of preserves on top of the fruit.
  5. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve. It should be served the same day it is made.

Notes

The pastry and the pastry cream can be made up to 2 days in advance. The fruit tart should be served the same day it is assembled together.