When the cat is away.. the mouse gets bored.. exactly how i feel whenever hubs is out of town.. hes my partner in crime.. without him around theres no one to "test" my bakes.. honestly.. i dont even know how this tart tastes like.. i am assuming it tastes delish since the recipe is fm Dorie Greenspan..
Baking tart has always been a quickie thang for me.. the sweet pastry can be prepared in advance.. pastry cream u can prepare a few hrs ahead of time and when ur ready to serve it to ur guests.. all u need to do is to assemble it and voila!.. u got urself a stunning looking dessert... (pls take note that this tart is best assembled at the last minute.. oppss i guess hubs will hv to make do with a day old tart haha)
Anyway.. Sonia went to her first school excursion yesterday .. she was super excited the night bef cos she was going to wear her school attire for the very first time.. nothing fancy mancy.. tshirt with super cute drawing on it.. she woke up earlier then usual.. got ready and couldnt stop talking abt her upcoming excursion.. right after that I had to send hubs to airport .. drove back home and started to prepare the sweet pastry and also pastry cream.. drove back to Sonia's school and unlike always when hubs is not around .. i decided to just take Sonia home and not take her to anywhere.. thought it'd be best to just spend "mother daughter" time at home instead since she had a full on day in school..
Quick Classic Berry Tart
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Abt 1 1/2 cups pastry cream (recipe follows), cooled or chilled
1 9' tart shell made with sweet tart dough (recipe follows), fully baked and cooled
2 pints fresh, perfectly ripe berries (blacberries, blueberries, raspeberries, strawberries or an assortment)
1/3 cup red current jelly mixed with 1 tsp water, for glazing
Whisk the Pastry Cream until it’s smooth. Spoon enough of the Pastry Cream into the tart to come almost to the rim, and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.
Lay the berries on the cream however you like. (If you are using strawberries, halve them vertically or cut them into slices.
Bring the jelly and water to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop. Using a pastry brush, dab each berry with jelly, or glaze the entire surface of the tart, including the pastry cream showing through the berries.
STORING: This tart should be eaten as soon as possible after you assemble it. If you must store it for a few hours, keep it in the refrigerator, far away from any food with strong odors.
Pastry Cream
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch - sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract - i used vanilla bean
3 1/2 tbsp high quality unsalted butter, cut into bits at room temp
Bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the yolks with the sugar and cornstarch until well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk to temper the yolks so they won’t curdle.
Whisking the entire time, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk.
Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (to the edges of the pot), bring the mixture to a boil.
Keep it at a boil. still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Discard the vanilla bean.
Whisk in the butter until the bits are fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth.
Scrape the cream into a bowl, and place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water. Stir the pastry cream occasionally until it is completely chilled, about 20 minutes.
Sweet Tart Dough
Makes one 9-inch crust
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick plus 1 tbsp (9tbsp) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse to combine.
Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients, and pulse until the butter is the size of peas and flakes of oatmeal.
Stir the egg, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition.
When the egg is in, process in 10-second pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. (Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine will change.)
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly, knead the dough just to incorporate any loose dry ingredients.
To Press the Dough Into the Pan: Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes.
To Fully Bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side-down, tightly against the crust.
Put the tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake the crust for 25 minutes.
Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffy, use the back of a spoon to gently press it down.
Bake for another 8 minutes or so, until the crust is golden brown.
Transfer the crust to a wire rack (still in the pan), and let it cool to room temperature before filling.
STORING: You can wrap the unbaked crust inside the tart pan and freeze it for up to 2 months. To bake it directly from the freezer, add about 5 minutes to the baking time.
Such a long winded recipe?? hehe not really.. it has three steps and thats it.. so ok.. i will probably not be able to blog for the next few days.. a little busy with this weekend orders and oh yes.. . i wanna thank Shikin for ordering Lenotre Coffee Macarons last wednesday.. was nice to see u again and ty for ur kind words.. much appreciated.. glad u loved it!
Enjoy the wkends dearies!
