The fruit tart is a classic dessert par excellence. Its characteristic is a crumbly shortcrust pastry filled with smooth and creamy custard and garnished with fresh fruit, in this case, blueberries and raspberries, but you can use whichever you prefer according to the season.
For a scenic effect, use fruits of different colors and a dusting of powdered sugar will give it a final and refined touch.
Ideal at the end of a meal, but also as a snack or for a birthday party or special occasion, making a great impression.
The pastry is blind-baked and requires some fundamental steps to achieve a crumbly and perfect shortcrust. It can be the base for other preparations that you can fill as you like. I used my air fryer, my precious ally, but you can of course bake it in an oven.
But let’s get ready to prepare this delicious dessert.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 45 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 8/10
- Cooking methods: Air Frying, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
Ingredients for a 9.5-inch tart
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 lemon zest (grated, untreated)
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 4.4 oz blueberries
- 8.8 oz raspberries
- A few mint leaves
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Air Fryer
Steps
How to prepare the tart
In a planetary mixer, food processor, or by hand, mix flour, cold butter, and sugar until a sandy texture is obtained and transfer it to a work surface or bowl.
Add the egg yolks and grated lemon and work the mixture by hand.
Knead until a smooth dough ball is obtained. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Score a vanilla bean with the tip of a knife, put it in a small pot with the milk, and let it simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.
With the help of an electric whisk, whip the yolks with sugar and add the sifted flour. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk, and slowly add it to the mixture while stirring.
Transfer everything to a saucepan and stir often to avoid lumps and let it thicken. Once ready, let it cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for an hour covered with plastic wrap.
With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the shortcrust on a floured work surface between two sheets of parchment paper.
Transfer the shortcrust to a 9.5-inch pan previously buttered and floured, remove the excess dough, poke it with a fork, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for half an hour.
After the resting time, cover the shortcrust with a cut-out parchment paper disk and place it in the center, cover it with dry beans.
Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.
Remove the beans and parchment paper and continue baking for 10 minutes at 340°F
Allow to cool completely before removing the shortcrust from the mold and filling it with custard and berries.
I finished with small fresh mint leaves
and a dusting of powdered sugar
