Fruit Tart

I have been a bad, bad blogger. I have completely neglected my blog and yours, but now I'm back. I'm totally blaming it on being entranced by the Twilight book series. Well, the first three books, I should have laid the last one down and tended to the blog because it was a total let down.

Please accept my apology with this delicious and summery fruit tart. The crust is a wonderful shortbread crust. The filling is a sweet, smooth, delectable pastry cream that is sure to please. Is it wrong that I can be found standing in front of an opened refrigerator eating spoonfuls of pastry cream out of the container??? Such a temptation and it does happen!

I decorate the tart as if I would arrange a fruit basket or platter. I finish it off by brushing apricot glaze atop the berries.

On a totally unrelated note...once you've visited me stop by and visit Sharon at Culinary Adventures Of A New Wife. Not only is it a great blog and is featuring a fabulous pasta dish at the moment but there is also a contest winning recipe submitted by yours truly in her current post! Sharing recipes is so great.

Fresh Fruit Tart

Pastry Shell
Fits a 9 inch tart pan
Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

3/4 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. flour, sifted
pinch salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar until just combined.
• Add vanilla
• Turn mixer onto low speed and add sifted flour and salt to the butter mixture. Mix until dough starts to come together.
• Dump onto floured surface and shape into a flat disk.
• Press dough into tart pan, making sure the edges are flat.
• Chill until firm. Butter one side of a square of parchment paper that will fit into tart shell and place it, buttered side down, on the chilled pastry. Fill with rice, beans or pie weights.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, prick tart all over with tines of a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool at room temperature.

Pastry Cream
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
make 2 1/2 cups

6 extra large egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
2 T. unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. heavy cream
1 t. Bacardi golden rum

• Combine sugar and cornstarch in bowl of electric mixer and rub them together using your hands.
• Add egg yolks and beat using paddle attachment, until mixture is pale yellow and falls back into the bowl in a ribbon.
• Bring milk to a boil in a large saucepan and , with the mixer on low, slowly pour it into the egg mixture. Then pour mixture back into the saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until mixture is thick, bringing mixture slowly to a boil.
• Once mixture is to a boil, cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
• Remove from heat and mix in butter, vanilla, cream and rum.
• Strain into storage container. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream and refrigerate until cold.

Assembly

• Fill tart shell with pastry cream.
• Add seasonal fruit.
• Brush with glaze. (Melted Apricot or Currant Jelly thinned out with hot tap water)