Fruit Tart

This fruit tart features a thick, buttery shortbread tart crust that's filled with a rich, luxurious pastry cream and then topped with an assortment of fresh glazed fruit.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 2 30

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 2 55

Servings: people

Equipment

9" tart pan

Ingredients

Tart Crust:

1 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, cold
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cold and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Pastry Cream:

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt

Fruit Topping and Glaze:

assorted fresh fruit*, for topping the pastry cream
2 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the Tart Dough:

Cut the butter into even-sized pieces and then keep it in the fridge so it stays cold.
Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse until evenly coated. Then, add the egg and fresh-squeezed lemon juice and pulse just until the dough comes together.
Gather up the dough and form it into a flat, round disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
Take the dough out of the fridge and, on a clean surface, roll it out into a 10″ circle. Lightly dust the surface, both sides of the dough, and your rolling pin with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Spray a 9″ tart pan with non-stick cooking spray, then drape the rolled out tart dough over the pan, and use your fingers to press it firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Use a fork to poke several holes in the bottom of the dough. Trim the overhang, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 more hour.
Take the pan out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil. Fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans and place the pan in the freezer while you preheat your oven.

Bake the Tart Crust:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Once the oven is preheated, take the tart pan with the dough out of the freezer and place the pan on a large-rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
Remove the weights, foil, and parchment paper, and continue to bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, or until it's light golden brown. Take the tart out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before filling with the pastry cream.

Make the Pastry Cream:

In a large, clean bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale yellow in color. Set aside.
To a medium saucepan, add the whole milk, cream, and vanilla extract (or split vanilla bean). Place over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
Temper the eggs: Slowly drizzle the warm milk mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks mixture, whisk the yolks as you do so they don’t curdle. Once all of the liquid is added to the bowl, whisk until smooth, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick.
Strain the pastry cream through a sieve and into a bowl. Use a spoon to press it through the sieve and use a different spoon to scrape the strained cream from the opposite side and into the bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a film from forming on top. Allow to cool completely for at least 2 hours before adding the pastry cream to the tart crust.

Assemble:

Use a rubber spatula to spread the pastry cream evenly inside the cooled, baked tart crust. Arrange assorted fresh fruit on top of the pastry cream and keep the tart in the fridge while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze: Whisk the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and the glaze thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Take the tart out of the fridge and use a pastry brush to lightly paint the top of the fruit with the warm glaze.
Keep the fruit tart in the fridge until ready to slice and serve. Serve the fruit tart on the same day once it's assembled.

Notes

*Use soft fruit for topping such as fresh berries, sliced kiwi, mango, banana, and mandarin orange slices.

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