Berries Berries Berries!

A homemade fresh berry tart from this past Summer...so delicious!  It reminds me of the beautiful pastries we would see in the windows of the pâtisseries in Aix-En-Provence a few years ago when we were all studying there together... 

Recipe: 

1.  Bake the tart shell and let it cool.  If a removable-bottom pan was used, remove the shell from the rim in which it was baked.

2.  Fill the tart shell with pastry cream and smooth over the top.

3.  Garnish the top of the pastry cream, placing berries as close as possible to completely cover the cream.  

*We used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, but feel free to use whatever fresh fruit you please!

Baked Tart Shell

• 2 cups flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 12 tablespoons very cold butter

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

1.  Place the flour, salt and sugar in the container of a food processor.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add it.  Add the yolks.  Blend briefly and gradually add the water.  Add only enough water until the dough pulls away from the sides of the container.

2.  Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for one hour.  

3.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400˚F.

4.  Roll out the dough and use it to line a 10-inch tart pan.  Line the dough with foil and fill with dried beans or rice.

5.  Place a baking sheet in the oven.  Place the pastry shell on the baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.  Remove and discard the dried beans or rice and foil.  Reduce the oven heat to 375˚F.

6.  Continue baking until the tart shell is golden brown on the bottom.  Remove and let cool.

Pastry Cream
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Blend one cup of the milk and the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2.  As the mixture is heated, put the egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow.  Add the cornstarch to the yolk mixture and beat well.  Add the remaining one-half cup of milk and beat until blended.
3.  When the milk and cream mixture is at the boil, remove from the heat.  Add the yolk mixture, beating rapidly with a wire whisk.
4.  Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly with the whisk.  When thickened and at the boil, remove from the heat.  Add the vanilla and let cool, stirring occasionally.


*Adapted from Living Tastefully