Fruit tart

Presenting summer on a plate: crisp tart shells filled with silky pastry cream and sweet seasonal berries.

Photographs: Natasha Liviero / Unsplash

Text: Natasha Liviero

Fruit tart

Makes 1 x 25cm tart

Pate Sable ingredients:

90g unsalted butter, cold

50g icing sugar

25g almond flour

200g flour

Pinch of salt

35g whole eggs, mixed

1 egg white, mixed (for brushing the tart shell)

Method:

1. Cut the butter into small cubes and place in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the icing sugar, almond flour, flour and salt.

2. Beat on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

3. Add the whole eggs and mix on low speed until the mixture forms a ball. (Add more egg if the mixture is not forming a ball).

4. Cut two sheets of baking paper 60cm long and roll the dough between the two pieces of paper until about 3mm thick.

5. Lay flat in the fridge for 3-5 minutes to firm up a little.

6. Grease a tart tin with cooking spray or butter.

7. Line the tart tin with the sable dough and place in the freezer until ready to bake (minimum 20 minutes).

8. Set the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and blind bake the tart for 15 minutes (no baking beans required) or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and brush the inside and sides of the tart shell with the egg white. Return to the oven for a further 4 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before carefully removing from the tin. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Lemon pastry cream ingredients:

550g milk

150g cream

10g vanilla extract

1 large lemon/orange, peeled with a potato peeler

150g sugar

60g cornstarch

120g egg yolks

80g salted butter

Method:

1. Heat the milk, cream, vanilla, and lemon/orange peel in a medium-sized saucepan until simmering.

2. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a large bowl.

3. Slowly pour the heated milk mixture over the eggs whilst whisking continuously.

4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to whisk over medium heat until thick, smooth and glossy with a pudding-like consistency (it must be very firm, or it won’t hold its shape when the tart is cut). Continuous whisking is essential to prevent a lumpy pastry cream.

5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.

6. Remove the lemon/orange peels and press pastry cream through a sieve into a bowl to remove any little lumps.

7. Contact cover with cling film and leave to cool.

8. If not using the same day, refrigerate until ready to use and whisk by hand before spreading into the tart.

Nappage glaze ingredients:

(See notes if you don’t want to make a nappage glaze)

50g sugar

5g pectin NH

115g water

Method:

1. Whisk 25g sugar with the pectin and set aside.

2. Combine the remaining 25g sugar with the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

3. Remove from the heat, sprinkle the sugar/pectin mixture over the syrup and whisk until fully dissolved.

4. Boil for another two minutes, remove from the heat, and cool for 10-15 minutes before using or storing in the fridge for up to a week.

5. If it gets too cold and or becomes too thick, microwave it to soften it. It should be the consistency of maple syrup.

Decorating the tart ingredients:

3-4 strawberries, thinly sliced

15-20 blueberries, whole and halved

4-6 cherries, full and quartered

6-8 raspberries, halved

Edible flowers

Method:

1. Gently brush each piece of fruit with the nappage glaze.

2. Position the fruits in a circular design around the surface of the tart.

3. Add edible flowers to fill in spaces.

Notes:

• Best served the day it is made. Refrigerate leftovers.

• If you don’t have pectin NH, make a glaze by melting smooth apricot/strawberry jam with a splash of water or liqueur. Once the consistency is smooth, cool and brush fruit with the glaze.

• Any seasonal fruit that doesn’t brown, i.e. bananas and apples, may be used for the tart.