Parisian Fruit Tarts
A classic French fruit tart featuring a cookie-based shell filled with vanilla custard, topped with mixed fruits and finished with an apricot glaze.
Ingredients
milk
1 cup
heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup
sugar (divided)
1/3 cup
all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons
large egg yolks
4
vanilla extract
2 teaspoons
Press-In Cookie Dough tart crusts (4-inch (10-cm), baked and still in the pan)
6
assorted fruits and berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, etc.)
About 5 cups
apricot preserves (for the glaze)
1/4 cup
water (for the glaze)
2 tablespoons
Instructions
1
Make the Pastry Cream
Heat the milk, heavy cream, and half of the sugar until it just reaches a gentle boil. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar and the flour, then add the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly, then return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens and comes to a boil; continue stirring for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the pastry cream into a glass bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
2
Prepare the Fruit
Once the pastry cream is fully chilled and you are ready to assemble the tarts, gently layer the assorted fruits and berries into a large bowl, repeating until all the fruit has been used. This method minimizes tossing and helps prevent the fruit from being bruised.
3
Make the Glaze
Stir together the apricot preserves and water in a small bowl. Strain the mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Continue to simmer until the volume is reduced to about 2/3 of the original, then pour the glaze into a shallow dish and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4
Assemble the Tarts
Carefully spread 1/6 of the chilled pastry cream into the bottom of each tart shell. Do not whip the pastry cream beforehand, as this may make it too thin. Scrape it directly into the shells and smooth the surface with a small offset spatula.
5
Glaze and Arrange the Fruit
Drizzle the cooled glaze over the prepared fruit. Use a large rubber spatula to gently toss the fruit until it is evenly coated with the glaze. Neatly arrange the glazed fruit over the pastry cream in each tart, filling in around the edges and mounding attractively in the center.
6
Unmold the Tarts
Carefully unmold each tart and slide it from the base of the tart pan onto a serving plate.
