Raspberry Tart

Our neighbor gave us some fresh raspberries from his mother's garden. I seized the opportunity to make a delicious summer treat. I had never made a tart before but often have admired their beauty.

I got this tart recipe from the Joy of Baking website. I followed most of the directions. I do have to say that the pastry cream had me worried for a bit. I tasted it when it was warm and it lacked flavor. All put together, the tart ended up tasting good, but I think I will use a different cream recipe next time.

Not so for the crust, this sweet pastry crust is delicious. I had some extra dough so I sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar and baked it as a separate treat. Yum!

Ingredients:
Sweet Pastry Crust:
1 1/2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter (I used margarine)
1/4 C sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Pastry Cream:
1 1/4 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks
1/4 C sugar
2 Tbs flour
2 Tbs cornstarch

2-3 Cups of fresh fruit: raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, blackberries, etc. Can be a mixture or all of one.
1/2 C Chocolate chips

Directions:
First prepare the crust. In a small bowl, sift together flour and sugar. In your mixing bowl, beat butter until softened. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Then gradually add the beaten egg (do not overmix). Add the flour mixture all at one and stir until just blended and dough balls up.

Lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough into a disc on top of the wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Have a 8-9 inch tart pan with removable bottom ready. I don't have a tart pan so I used a springform pan and it worked out just fine. removing the bottom isn't really necessary so a pie dish would work as well.

Roll out the pastry to an 11-12 inch circle. I like to roll mine out while it is between the plastic wrap so it doesn't stick to the counter or my rolling pin. If you don't, make sure the surface is well floured. Once the pastry is an inch larger than your pan, place it in the pastry pan. Push down the edges and make a lip about an inch up the sides. Any extra dough can be discarded or made into cinnamon sticks!

Now, poke holes in the crust with a fork all over the bottom of the pan. This will prevent bubbles from forming as it bakes. Refrigerate the crust another 20 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes or until dry and golden brown. You can put rice or bean weights into it if you prefer but I did not and the crust was fine. Cool crust before filling.

Pastry Cream:
In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks. Sift the flour and cornstarch together then add to the eggs, mixing until smooth.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine the milk and vanilla. Put over medium heat until boiling (the milk will start to foam). Remove from heat and slowly add to egg mixture, stirring constantly to prevent scrambling the eggs. Once fully incorporated, put the mixture back in the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until boiling. Then whisk for another 30-60 seconds until it becomes very thick. Remove from heat and place in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing it down to touch the surface and prevent a skin from forming. Cool. Refrigerate for up to 3 days if not using immediately.

Before you add the cream to the crust, melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and spread a think layer over the crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until hard. This helps keep the crust from getting soggy once you put the filling in. And it is tasty!

Assemble the tart on the day it will be served. Place in the cream filling. On top arrange the fruit. If desired brush on a glaze (I did not). The recipe said to serve at room temperature, which I did.