Fruit Tart
Buttery, cookie-like tart crust that's brushed with semi-sweet chocolate, filled with a creamy pastry cream/whipped cream filling, decorated with fresh fruit, and glazed with jam.
Servings 12
Equipment
- 9-in or 10-in tart pan *preferably with a removable bottom
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- pie weights or dried beans
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter (113g)
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (57g)
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (2g)
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (180g)
Pastry Cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 3 large egg yolks (42g)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch (30g)
- 2 cups whole milk (454g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (10g) or use 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or 1 vanilla pod
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (42g)
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream (114g)
- 1 ½ tbsp powdered sugar (11g)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (3g)
Fresh Fruit Assembling
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted (43g)
- 2 ½ cups fruit if your choice
- 2 tbsp apricot jam (43g)
- 1 tbsp warm water (15g)
Instructions
Tart Crust
- Add cold butter into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use a hand held mixer. Beat on medium high speed for 1 minute.½ cup cold unsalted butter
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on medium high speed for 30 seconds. It might look lumpy but that's okay.1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat on medium high speed until incorporated. Turn the mixer onto low speed, add the flour in two parts. Mix until the dough comes together and looks smooth.½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ tsp kosher salt, 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Gently knead the dough into a ball using your hands, place it on the plastic wrap, and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. If you skip this step, the tart crust will melt in the oven.
Pastry Cream
- In a large heatproof mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Set aside.½ cup granulated sugar , 1 large egg, 3 large egg yolks, 3 tbsp cornstarch
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring whole milk to a simmer. Continuously whisk the milk to avoid burning. Turn the heat down to low, and carefully pour ¼ cup of hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Keep whisking until the mixture looks smooth. Slowly pour the mixture back into the saucepan through a mesh sieve. Bring the heat back up to a simmer over medium-high heat.2 cups whole milk
- Once it starts simmering and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes, turn the heat to medium-low and keep whisking. You'll notice that it'll become harder to whisk as the mixture thickens. After about 3 minutes, remove the pot from the heat.
- Cut the butter into tablespoons sized pieces and place them over the hot pastry cream. Let the butter melt. Once it's melted, add vanilla extract and stir everything together.3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Transfer to a bowl and cover the warm pastry cream with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic onto the surface to avoid a skin from forming. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes and then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preparing The Tart Crust
- Spray a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray.
- Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. It might be a little hard at first because the dough is could, but keep rolling. After each roll, turn the dough a quarter turn with your hands so that it will be an even thickness.
- Roll out to about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully pick up the dough and lay it over the tart pan. Use your fingers to push the dough into the sides of the pan.
- Use a sharp knife to trim any dough that hangs over the edges of the pan. If the dough has any cracks, patch it with the excess dough. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Bake the tart crust on the center rack for 25-28 minutes, turning halfway. Look for a golden brown crust and the edges start to slightly pull away from the pan. If the edges start getting too dark, cover with tinfoil.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. To remove from the tart pan, push the removable bottom up from underneath.
- This crust can be left at room temperature for 2 days, wrapped in tinfoil or an airtight container.
Whipped Cream
- While the tart crust cools, make the whipped cream. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand held mixer, mix cold heavy whipping cream on medium speed.½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- Once soft peaks form (about 2 minutes), add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to over whip or it will break and get runny. Look for stiff peaks.1 ½ tbsp powdered sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract
Assembling The Tart
- Wash and dry fruit. Remove strawberries stems and peel and slice other fruit that has a skin. I slice fruits 1/8 - 1/4-inch thick.
- In a bowl, mix the chilled pastry cream and the whipped cream together.
- *Optional* Melt chocolate in a microwavable safe bowl for 30-second increments. Brush a thin layer of chocolate onto the bottom of the tart crust. Hardened chocolate will prevent the crust from getting soggy. Refrigerate the crust for 5 minutes to set the chocolate.¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted
- Add the pastry cream into the tart shell and smooth it with an offset spatula. Add enough cream that it's level with the tart crust edge. Arrange the fruit in a shape you like. See my pictures for ideas.
- Add apricot jam and water into a microwavable bowl. Heat for 10 seconds and mix together. Brush the mixture onto all of the fruit.2 tbsp apricot jam, 1 tbsp warm water
- Serve right away! The decorated tart can last 1 day in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Helpful tools to make a tart crust: 9 or 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom | pie weights | pastry brush | cordless hand mixer | mesh sieve | rolling pin