Fruit Tart with Custard Cream

Ready to find out how to make this fresh and picture-perfect fruit tart

right in your own kitchen?!?

It's not so hard! It's not hard at all to whip up this BEAUTY!
I promise that if you follow my simple step-by-step directions below, you'll be able to make from scratch, right in your kitchen this delicious, summer-perfect dessert. Made with a traditional cookie crust (pasta frolla), creamy and velvety custard cream (crema pasticcera). And loads of naturally perfect and colorful fresh fruit, arranged on top as your creativity calls out. So pretty and so easy, you can't mess it up!

I've actually baked this fruit tart (or as we call it in Italy, crostata di frutta) many MANY times. And it's always a big hit.
The best part is decorating the top with seasonal fruit, and create a fun and colorful design.
Just beware, some fruit doesn't work as well as other, like banana or apple slices for example. These will quickly change color once cut (unless you use lemon juice) and will not look as good.

And let me be honest here. I do have one "problem" when I bake this dessert.
People assume it's store-bought... even my own kids!
And come on, shouldn't they know better?!
It's so pretty that might not look homemade. See what I'm saying??

Ready to find out how you can bake this too?!

INGREDIENTS:

YIELD: 11 inch (28 cm) tart, about 8 servings

- For the crust:
  - 2 egg yolks
  - 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
  - 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk
  - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  - 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  - 6 oz (170 gr) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  - 2 1/2 cups (375 gr) of all-purpose flour
  For the crema pasticcera (custard cream):
  - 8 fl oz (240 ml) of milk
  - 2 egg yolks
  - 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
  - 1.5 tablespoons (15 gr) of corn starch
  - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  - 6 fl oz (175 ml) of whipping cream
  For the toppings:
  About 8 oz (225 gr) strawberries
  About 18 oz (510 gr) of other berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries ...)

PREPARATION:

TIME: 45 minutes to prepare, plus one hour inactive

Let's start by working on the crust.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).

In a large bowl combine the 2 egg yolks,1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of milk and a pinch of salt, and mix well.

Add the butter cut in pieces and mix well again.

Blend in the flour, one cup at the time.

Grease an 11 inch (28 cm) tart pan with butter and flour. Press the dough to the bottom of the pan with a spoon, your hands or the bottom of a cup. Sprinkle the top with a little bit of flour if the dough sticks to your hand. Make it as flat as possible.

Work with your thumb around the edge to make it even, removing any extra dough.

Prick the bottom with a fork.

Bake the empty crust at 350° F (175° C) for about 25 minutes, until slightly golden on the edges.

While the crust bakes, let's make the custard cream.

In a small pan (or microwave) warm up the milk almost to a boil.

In another medium size pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla and corn starch until smooth and fluffy. Make sure there are no lumps.

Add a little bit of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking well so that no lumps form. Whisk in the rest of the milk.

Place the pan over medium heat and stir continuously until it reaches a slow boil. The cream will thicken, so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. Lower the flame and cook for only two more minutes or so, until you have the desired thickness.

Pour the cream in a glass bowl and let it cool down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When the patisserie cream is cold, whip the whipping cream and fold into the cream.

Spread over the crust.

And decorate with fresh fruit. I like to start from the edges working my way to the middle. I start with slices of strawberries and make two circles. And I covered the middle with lots of raspberries and blueberries, and some more strawberries. You can pick your favorite design and combination.

And have fun!