The fruit tart is a quintessential classic dessert. Its feature is a crumbly shortcrust filled with smooth and velvety pastry cream and garnished with fresh fruit, in this case, blueberries and raspberries, but you can use whatever you prefer according to the season.
For a scenic effect, use fruits of different colors and a sprinkle of powdered sugar will give its 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 shortcrust is baked blind (or in white) and requires some fundamental steps to obtain a crumbly and perfect base. 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 obviously bake it in the oven.
But let’s prepare this delicious dessert.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- 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
- 4.5 oz blueberries
- 9 raspberries
- A few mint leaves
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Air Fryer
Steps
How to prepare the tart
In a stand mixer, food processor, or by hand, mix flour, cold butter, and sugar until you get a sandy mixture, then transfer it to a work surface or a bowl.
Add the egg yolks and grated lemon and work the mixture by hand
Knead until you get a smooth dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Slice a vanilla bean with the tip of a knife, place it in a saucepan with milk, and let it simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and add the sifted flour. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and add it gradually to the mixture and stir.
Transfer everything into a saucepan and stir often to avoid lumps and thicken it. Once ready, let it cool to room temperature and then
place it in the fridge for an hour covered with plastic wrap.
With the help of a rolling pin, on a work surface, roll out the shortcrust between 2 sheets of parchment paper dusted with flour.
Transfer the shortcrust into a 9.5-inch pan previously buttered and floured, remove the excess dough, prick with a fork, and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for half an hour.
After the resting time, cover the shortcrust with a cutout parchment paper disk and place it in the center, cover it with dried beans.
Bake program at 375°F for 15 minutes.
Remove the beans and parchment paper and continue baking for 10 minutes at 340°F
Let it cool completely before removing the shortcrust from the mold and filling it with pastry cream and berries.
I finished with small fresh mint leaves
and a dusting of powdered sugar
