Pastry Cream For Fruit Tarts Food

PASTRY CREAM FOR FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• Place milk, vanilla bean, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat; cook until almost boiling.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until thickened. Sprinkle in cornstarch and flour and continue beating until well combined.
• Remove vanilla bean from milk. While whisking constantly, slowly pour heated-milk mixture into egg-yolk mixture. Pour mixture through a fine sieve back into saucepan, and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat, until it thickens and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in butter until melted. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream; refrigerate until completely cooled.

FRUIT TART WITH PASTRY CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry dough to a thickness of about a 1/4 inch, and as even as possible. Don't spend too much time rolling it, though, or you'll overwork the dough, and the pastry will be too tough.
• Now cut the dough into circles that are a little larger than the diameter of the tart tin you're going to use. In this case, you're making 4-inch tarts, so you'd cut out circles about 4 1/2 inches across.
• Press the circles of dough into the tart tins. You want to get a tight fit against the bottom and sides. Trim off any excess dough by running your rolling pin over the tops of the tart tins.
• Line the shells with parchment paper and fill with uncooked beans, rice, or pie weights to prevent the crust from puffing up while it bakes.
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until the shells are a nice golden brown color.
• Remove the pie weights and the paper, and let the shells cool all the way before removing them from the tins.
• While they're cooling, heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan along with about a tablespoon of water until it liquefies.
•  Pour the glaze through a wire mesh strainer and into a small bowl to remove any bits of fruit.
• Now pipe the shells half full of pastry cream. Or you could just spoon it in and gently smooth it down.
• Next, arrange your fruit on top of the pastry cream, about a 1/2 cup per tart.
• Finally, brush each one with the apricot glaze.
• Refrigerate the tarts for at least an hour, until it's time to serve them.

CLASSIC FRENCH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.
• Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs," especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).
• Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
• Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.
• Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

MINI FRUIT TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the tart shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Prick the bottoms and sides of the dough with a fork. Bake on the bottom rack until the dough is golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let the tart shells cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the pastry cream. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until bubbles form around the edges. Gradually add the milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir in the sherry. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter and vanilla and let cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled custard into the tart shells. Top with the fruit. Heat the apricot jelly in a saucepan or the microwave until melted. Brush the jelly onto the fruit. Let stand until set.