Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Summer Fruit Tart

Today I was thinking about my time spent in Europe. Studying in France, living off of the warm and fresh baguettes and amazing pastries lining the streets... and I slowly feel into a mild depression. I miss it. I miss the gorgeous windows of fresh fruit topped tarts and macaroons... the chocolatiers and fromageries... the accent, the smell, the lights.......

Le petit déjuner au cafe "Le Champs de Mars"...... il me manques.....
But then reality hit. I might be home and far from the european streets I adore, but why not bring my favorite places back to life through my kitchen? Why haven't I lined my own fridge with pastries and breads... creams and chocolates... cheeses and butters galore.... (ok, the real reason there is the hope for  my waistline lol).

But honestly, why just daydream when we can all put our passion for food to action!? And so I got up, walked with a purpose to my pantry and fridge, and told myself I needed to make a gorgeous tart to bring the berries of the season with the passion for food and dessert to life!!! And I needed to do it now!

And here was the result!!!

Summer Fruit Tart
What You Need:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
Zest of 1/2 Lime
1 Stick Butter, cold
1 Egg Yolk (save the white)

Filling
1/2 cup Lemon Curd
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Flour
3 tbsp Cornstarch
2 cups Milk
1/3 cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Butter
Pinch Salt

Fruits
Your favorites!
Strawberries
Black Berries
Blueberries
Raspberries

Fruit Glaze:
1/2 Peach or Apricot Jelly
2 tbsp Lemon Juice

The crust is similar to that made for the pop tart recipe, only in place of chocolate I made it citrus rich to highlight the season. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahreneheit. While the oven is heating, place the flour, sugar and zest into your food processor and pulsate10-12 times. Stop.

Add the butter and egg yolk-- be sure the butter is cold, and cube it to ease the food processors work. Pulsate the butter and egg yolk into the flour until the consistency is like wet sand -- in other words until the dough pulls from the sides.



Press this mixture into a greased tart pan and bake 12-15 minutes, until it is light brown. Remove and let cool.


To start the filling, place the the lemon curd with the egg white saved from the crust and the remaining 3 eegs into a large bowl and whisk to blend.

In a small bowl combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Add this to the lemon and egg mixture and set aside.

In a small saucepan, simmer the milk, vanilla, and honey. The next step is to tempure the eggs. To do so, slowly add about 1/4 of the mixture to the egg and lemon mixture and whisk.


Now add the lemon and egg mixture back into the sauce pan and heat 3-5 minutes, until it bubbles. Whisk the entire time to prevent lumps of cornstarch forming.

Turn off heat, whisk in the butter, and pour into the chilled tart shell. Chill 4-5 hours.


You want to add the berries no more than 2 hours before serving. Otherwise they can cause the tart to sog up. Before you are ready to serve, heat the jelly and lemon juice in a sauce pan over medium heat, pour some of the glaze over the tart to lock in the custard. top with your berries however you desire, then brush with the remaining glaze.


This was beyond amazing. Everyone I served it too took pictures before eating (yay!). Here was one photo from a guest "Danielle" who posted this on Instagram:


Thanks for visiting BB and sharing my summer tart with me! I hope you enjoy!

Best,

16 comments:

  1. I can certainly relate to missing France. I lived in Belgium for a year and we would drive 2 hours to Paris for lunch. But your tart reminds me of my mother-in-law who always had one freshly baked when we'd go to her home on the border of the 2 countries.

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    1. Ellen! How wonderful! I would love to be able to visit Belgium -- I never made it (there is always tomorrow though haha). Thank you so much for your comment, it made me really sit back and think about those lovely days in Paris and Nantes. What a HUGE compliment that my tart reminds you of your in-laws! I hope we both get to go back soon!!!

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  2. I miss Europe almost daily :) Your tart does remind me of European summer pastries....it looks so delicious & beautiful.

    I am so glad we connected through Foodbuzz:)

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    1. Bibi - I agree! It's great to get to connect to people who have a passion for all things in the kitchen! Thanks so much for stopping by and your comment! There truly is nothing like a good summer pastry from the lovely European Influenced countries! Where in Europe have you been?!

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  3. What a gorgeous fruit tart! Love the lemon curd custard in the middle - great complement to all of those wonderful berries!!!!

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    1. Thanks MJ! I can't say it enough.... but this tart was too good.. I mean so good it was a date night with me and my fork.... Those berries were hard to leave on the tart haha I just wanted to eat them all up! Lucky for me I shared this with others so the damage I could have done was under control ;) Something about a cool lemon custard with fresh raw berries made me realize life's to short to not eat a third a tart! lol!

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  4. Yummiest most gorgous thing I have ever seen in my life!

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    1. Thanks Ashlee! I wanted to frame it but.... instead I just had a slice! lol ;)

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  5. I love fruit tarts! I need need need to try this. Hopefully mine will be as gorgeous as yours!

    XOXO
    your newest follower

    www.glamhungrymom.com

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    1. AndreaBai, THANKS! I hope you do try the recipe out, and I am sure your tart WILL be as gorgeous, if not more glamourous than mine!

      Thanks for stopping by and following BB! I AM your newest follower too!

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  6. Looks awesome - love fresh berries w/ lemon curd

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    1. Thanks Laurie! I too have found that there is something with lemon curd and berries that makes me happy.... ;) I hope you have a great weekend! Thanks for visiting BB!

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  7. Looks delicious. Fruit tarts just go with summer! :)

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  8. I nominated you for an award! http://www.glamhungrymom.com/2012/07/sowa-open-market-and-awards.html

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    1. Oh my heavens! Thank you so much! I have been down and out htis week, and wanted to say thank you so much for the nomination! I will get a post up soon in return, as soon as I feel a bit better!

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