Fresh Berry Tart

Ok, we are the worst bloggers ever. Our anniversary was ten days ago, and I still have not shared this recipe with you. Maybe I should just wait until next year, eh?

We had a completely insane week last week (our downstairs neighbor even wrote us a note about our loud feet--haha), which included apartment searching, job craziness, and recorder homework (yep). We also ended up sleeping at Tracy's on the night of our anniversary because our power was out. Lovely.



Needless to say, not much went well last week. EXCEPT for this tart. I have to admit, I was not very excited about making this intense recipe while all was going to hell over here, but it was completely worth it. We cheated and bought the tart shells, making it really easy to pull these guys together. And the pastry cream. I was eating it with a spoon. Seriously heavenly.



A huge thank you to Cassie for this great recipe--you picked a great one! The tarts were so delightful and tasted wonderful with our Korbel champagne. We loved sharing them together while looking at our wedding book and cuddling on the couch, it really gave us some momentum to get through the week. The ups and downs of life/marriage, right?

Three cheers for our first year!



Fresh Berry Tart
From Bake or Break

Pastry Cream:
2 eggs
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups half-and-half, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 to 1 & 1/4 cups heavy cream



In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and cornstarch. Slowly add in 1/4 cup half-and-half and whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Place aside.

Pour sugar, remaining 1 & 3/4 cups half-and-half, and salt into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Quickly whisk two tablespoons of the hot mixture into the egg mixture. Strain egg mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl.

Making sure the hot mixture is still boiling, quickly add egg mixture and whisk for 20-30 seconds or until very thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Pour immediately into a bowl and cover with a piece of greased plastic wrap, placing directly onto the cream to prevent a film from forming. Leave on the counter to cool for one hour, then place in the refrigerator until cold. (Will keep for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.)



When ready to place in tart crusts, whip your heavy cream (see below) and fold an equal amount of whipped cream into the pastry cream.

To Assemble:
1 9-inch tart crust or 4 4-inch tart crusts
About 1/4 cup fruit preserves, like raspberry or currant
2 or so cups of fresh berries, rinsed and dried



Microwave preserves in a small bowl until bubbling, then strain through a fine sieve to get rid of the seeds. Brush onto the inside of the crust. Spoon pastry cream into crusts and add berries on top. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours before serving to let them set. Enjoy with your favorite bottle of bubbly!



(Easy Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Beat cream and vanilla in a chilled bowl until it holds a loose peak. Sift sugar over the cream and beat just until it holds a soft peak. Do not over-beat.)