Summer Berry Tart Recipe

A classic summer berry tart recipe made with pastry cream and decorated with seasonal berries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 4

Cook Time 30

Total Time 4 30

Servings slices

Calories 496kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For the pastry cream:

2 cups half and half
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 whole vanilla bean*1
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons corn starch
4 tablespoons 2 oz. OR 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the Tart:

1 large egg yolk
1- tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz.) all-purpose flour
2/3 cups (2 2/3 oz.) powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (4 oz.) OR 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and cold
2 cups mixed summer fruit/berries*2
handful of fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons of honey

Instructions

To make the pastry cream:

Place half and half, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and salt in a medium size saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds with the back of a knife, and place in the saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and the rest of the sugar in a bowl.
Place 1 cup of the hot half & half mixture in a measuring cup. While whisking it constantly, slowly pour it into the egg yolks and cornstarch mixture to temper. Then slowly pour the tempered mixture back into the simmering saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk vigorously until it is thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface. This process takes between 25-35 seconds.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter and continue whisking until combined. Transfer the pastry cream into a large bowl, place a plastic wrap directly on the surface. First let it cool outside for half an hour, and then place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours before using it.

To make the tart shell:

Whisk egg yolk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Set aside.
Place flour, powdered sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined. Scatter the butter pieces on top and pulse 15 times, until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
While the machine is running pour the egg mixture over the tube and let it process until the dough comes together around the blade. This process takes around 10-12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a large plastic wrap and flatten it into a 6-inch disk. Cover tightly and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the kitchen counter with some flour. Roll the dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Lifting the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan. Press it into the corners and the fluted sides of the pan. Run the rolling pin over the top to remove any access dough and to make a clean edge. Place it in the freezer and let it freeze for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
After 30 minutes, take the tart shell out of the freezer and line it with two sheets of aluminum foil, making sure that it is all covered. Fill it with pie weights (or dry beans). Set it on a large baking sheet and place in the oven. Let it bake for 30 minutes, making sure to rotate it halfway through the baking process.
At the end of 30 minutes, carefully remove the pie weights and the aluminum foil, and let it bake for another 10 minutes, until it is golden brown and fully baked. Let the tart shell cool to room temperature or for at least an hour and a half on the kitchen counter.
To assemble: Using a spatula spread the pastry cream evenly into the tart shell. Decorate the top with berries (or other fruits) and fresh mint leaves as seen in the photos.
Dilute the honey with a couple of teaspoons of water. Using a pastry brush dab it over the fruit.
Remove the outer metal ring of the tart pan. Carefully slide a knife (or a spatula) between the tart and the tart bottom. Slide it to a large serving plate. Cut into slices and serve.

Notes

For the pastry cream, you can substitute vanilla bean with 1 1/2-teaspoon vanilla extract. However, instead of adding it at the very beginning you should add it at the very end (while adding the butter).
After I washed the fruit, I laid them on two of sheets of paper towel, covered them with a sheet of paper towel, and let them dry (and come to the room temperature) for an hour. It is important for them to be completely dried or otherwise the juices of the berries may bleed into the pastry cream.
To make it easier and quicker, I made the pastry cream and the dough of the tart shell a day in advance. Once they were ready, the whole process took 1 hour and 15 minutes.
To store, cover it tightly with plastic wrap. It should be fresh for 3 days as long as it is kept in the fridge.

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