These classic French tarts can be served as one giant tart, or as tartlets. You may make the pastry cream and dough a day ahead of time, as both need to chill for at least two hours before they can be used.

Ingredients

Tart Dough:

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 250 grams all-purpose flour — if you don’t have a scale, this is about two cups

Pastry cream

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter

fresh fruit

• Strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, peaches, plums, cherries, or whatever fruit you like.

Process

make the pastry cream

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the milk, vanilla, and salt. Be careful not to boil the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
3. Whisking continuously, add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk from step 1 to the egg yolk mixture. Continue adding the milk about a half-cup at a time.
4. Return the mix to the saucepan. Cook it over medium low heat until the mixture is thick and bubbling. Remove it from the heat as soon as it begins boiling.
5. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously. If the mixture appears greasy, just keep mixing it, it will straighten out.
6. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl.
7. Cover tightly with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for at least two hours and up to three days.

Tart Dough

1. In a stand mixture with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt at medium speed.
2. Mix in the egg.
3. Add the flour to the mixer and turn it to low, letting it mix just until everything is incorporated. Don’t overmix it.
4. Using your hands, form the dough into two even balls (heh). If you’re making tartlets, shape the dough into 1/2-inch-thick discs. If you’re making one tart, just shape it into one 1/2-inch-thick disc.
5. Wrap the discs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

baking the tart shells

Note: the pastry dough likes to be cold. It’s important to work quick so the dough doesn’t get too warm. If it starts to get too gooey and warm as you work it, put it back in the fridge for half an hour or so.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Roll out your dough to about a 1/8-inch thickness.
3. If making tartlets, cut the dough to size using the tartlet mold and impress the dough into the molds. If making a single tart, place the flattened disc into a pie tin.
4. Place the filled molds or filled pie tin into the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 14-18 minutes. Be careful not to overbake them.
6. Cool the pastry shells.

Assembling the tarts

1. Prepare your selection of fruits: slice them to size, remove stems, etc.
2. Take the pastry cream and either pipe it or spoon it into the pastry shell(s).
3. Add the prepared fruits in whatever fashion you like.

If you want to glaze the fruits: mix about 1/4 cup of apricot jam with about a tablespoon of water. Gently heat over medium-low heat until the glaze becomes warm and thin. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over the fruits.

Place the completed tarts in the refrigerator. They’ll be good for several days, but they probably won’t last that long.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Check out our other recipes on The Recipes page!