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Ingredients
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Pasta frolla (sweet tart crust)
Pastry cream (crema pasticcera)
Glaze and assembly
Method
Pasta frolla (sweet tart crust)
- 1
Measure and cut butter
Cut the cold unsalted butter into small cubes and return to the refrigerator while you measure the dry ingredients.
- 2
Combine dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt until evenly distributed.
- 3
Cut in butter
Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, quickly work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- 4
- 5
Form, chill, and rest
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days). Chilling firms the butter and allows easier rolling and a tender crust.
- 6
Blind bake the crust
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick and large enough to line a 10-inch (25 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough into the pan and trim excess, patching if needed. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork. Line the shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment and bake another 8–12 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cool on a rack. If the base puffs, gently press back with the back of a spoon while still warm.
Pastry cream (crema pasticcera)
- 7
Prep vanilla
If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise and scrape the seeds. Add seeds and pod to the milk. If using extract, it will be added later.
- 8
Heat milk
In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, vanilla bean + seeds (or omit pod and use extract later), and lemon zest. Heat over medium until the milk is steaming and just about to simmer; do not boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse vanilla and lemon flavor. If using vanilla extract, skip the steep and add it later.
- 9
Mix eggs and starch
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and pale.
- 10
Temper eggs and cook
Remove the vanilla pod from the milk. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil (about 1–2 minutes after thickening). Continue to cook 30–60 seconds more while whisking to cook out starch taste.
- 11
Finish pastry cream
Remove from heat and whisk in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract (if using) until smooth. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
Glaze and assembly
- 12
Prepare fruit
Wash and dry the seasonal fruit. Hull and slice strawberries, peel and slice peaches or nectarines, peel and slice kiwi, and leave small berries whole. Pat fruit dry so excess moisture doesn't make the tart soggy.
- 13
Fill the tart shell
When the pastry cream is cold, remove the plastic wrap and give it a quick whisk to loosen. Spoon or pipe the pastry cream into the cooled baked tart shell and smooth the top with an offset spatula to an even layer about 1/2-inch thick.
- 14
Arrange fruit
Arrange the prepared seasonal fruit decoratively on top of the pastry cream. You can fan slices in concentric circles, create rows, or make a freeform arrangement. Ensure fruit pieces are not too large so slices lie flat and stable.
- 15
Make apricot glaze
In a small saucepan, gently warm the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water over low heat until it liquefies and is glossy. Strain if necessary to remove fruit pieces. Allow the glaze to cool slightly but remain warm and spoonable.
- 16
Glaze the fruit
Using a pastry brush or spoon, lightly brush the warmed apricot glaze over the arranged fruit to give a shiny finish and to help preserve the fruit. Be gentle so you don't disturb the arrangement.
- 17
Chill and serve
Refrigerate the finished tart for at least 30 minutes to set the glaze and chill the filling. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired just before serving. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts for clean slices.