Raspberry and Vanilla Custard Tart

I was fumbling around the Internet , trying to decide what to make for my relatives who were popping by for lunch last week when i stumbled upon this post by Peabody. Her pictures, as they always do, had me drooling and I just knew I had to make this.

So off i went to Phoot Huat, in hopes of finding frozen raspberries which they had, much to my delight! They came at hefty price, almost ten bucks for 500g but after savouring these little tart [no pun intended! ] babies that blended oh so well with the creaminess of the filling and the sweet crumby tart base that just melts in your mouth, I was totally sold. I so wouldn’t hesitate to get another tub for this heavenly dessert, just not too often for sake of my health and bank account.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry [from Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2]

2 cups plain flour
3 tbsp caster sugar
150g cold butter, chopped
2-3 tbsp cold water

1. Put flour, sugar and butter in large bowl. Combine lightly with tip of fingers till mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add iced water gradually till a smooth dough forms, just combined [I had to add about 2 1/2 tbsp]. Knead dough lightly to form a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface till 2-3mm thick. Gingerly lift pastry off work surface and into a 10 inch pie dish.
3. Preheat oven to 180C. Place a piece of nonstick paper over pastry and fill with uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes, remove weights and bake for another 10 minutes or till pastry is golden [I baked mine for easily twenty minutes without the weights before it started turning a lovely hue of golden brown].

Vanilla Cream Filling [from Culinary Concoctions By Peabody]

2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 ½ cups light cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks

1. Whisk the sugar and the cornstarch together in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat, whisk in the cream and the vanilla, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula in a figure eight motion making sure to touch all the edges of the pot. Continue cooking until the custard thickens and begins to bubble. Remove the pot from the heat.
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Slowly pour half of the warm cream mixture into the bowl with the eggs, whisking all the while. This warms the eggs slowly so that the warm cream doesn’t cook the eggs.
3. Pour the custard back in the pot, return the pot to the heat, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the vanilla cream is almost as thick as pudding. It may look a little lumpy at first, but it will smooth out as you cook it.
4. Pour the vanilla cream into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a “skin” from forming over it, and refrigerate until it is chilled, at least 1 hour or until you are ready to assemble the tart.
5. No more than a few hours before you’re ready to serve the tart, fill the tart shell three-quarters of the way to the top with the vanilla cream. Place fruit on top in whatever pattern or combination you like.

Glaze [from Donna Hay Modern Classics Book 2]

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tsp gelatin powder
1 tbsp water

1. Heat sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle gelatin in 1 tbsp water. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook for 1 minute.
2. Use a pastry brush to coat the fruit with the raspberry glaze. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the tart. Serve this tart chilled, within hours of making it.

Enjoy!

Posted by thecoffeesnob on January 23, 2007

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