Summer Berry Tart
Ingredients
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
250g flour
180g butter
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
FILLLING
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornflour
100g caster sugar
450ml milk
2 egg whites
2 drops pure vanilla essence
TO SERVE
1 punnet each strawberries, boysenberries, raspberries and cherries
icing sugar to dust
Description
Berries have a very short season so I like to make the most of them. Top this tart with a variety of available berries for a superb effect. The tart shell is filled with delicious sweet custard that is quite runny, so bake the crust ahead, prepare the custard and keep it chilled. Assemble the tart at the last moment, pile on the fruit and enjoy this taste of summer. It will be eaten in an instant.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put all the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse together to combine. Add the egg yolk and water and mix briefly until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Turn out on to the bench and knead together to form a ball. Chill for about 20minutes.
To bake, roll the pastry out on a floured bench, and use it to line a 24cm loose-bottomed flat tin. Line the pastry shell with foil and fill it with rice or baking beans, so the sides do not slide down during the cooking. Rest the pastry shell for at least 20 minutes before baking for 25minutes, until the pastry is golden.
To make the filling, put the egg yolks, flour, cornflour and one tablespoon of the sugar together in a bowl. Add two tablespoons of the milk and whisk together until light and fluffy. Heat the remaining milk in a heavy saucepan until it reaches boiling point. Tip the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture and beat well. Rinse out the milk pan, return the mixture to the rinsed-out pan and bring to boiling point, stirring vigorously.
Tip this custard into a clean bowl and chill, covered with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming.
When the custard is cool, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar and the vanilla to make a thick meringue and whisk this into the custard. (You can flavour the custard with Grand Marnier instead of vanilla if you wish.) Keep the custard in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Place the tart crust on a flat serving plate and spoon the custard into the shell. Pick over the berries and cherries, cutting any large strawberries in half. Place berries on top of the custard. When arranged, dust with icing sugar.
Categories
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