Enjoy 20% off with a $60 purchase on our alpaca fleece products this week. 

Order Your Almanac Today!

Mixed Berry Tart

Photo Credit
merc67/www.shutterstock.com
The Editors
Yield
6 to 8 servings
Category
Pies and Pastries
Course
Desserts
Sources
Yankee Magazine
Print Friendly and PDF

Our berry tart is simple to make and looks stunning. Start with a tart shell, which you can make or buy. Then spread a pastry cream in the shell and top with mixed berries of your choice! We think blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries work best.

Great for a patriotic occasion or for a picnic!

Optional: Drizzle it all in Crème Anglaise which is a light pouring custard. Our Crème Anglaise has an added berry flavor usinr Blackberry Sage Tea from The Republic of Tea company, but any berry-flavored black tea will work.

Check out this page for more delicious summer recipe ideas using seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Tart Shell:

Ingredients
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
  2. Combine flour, butter, salt, and sugar in food processor and blend until dough resembles cornmeal. 
  3. Add just enough ice water to bring the dough together. Gather dough into a ball, flatten to a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes. 
  4. Press into a 9- or 10-inch tart pan and generously prick the bottom with a fork. 
  5. Bake at 350 F until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Pastry Cream Filling:

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups light cream
1-1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups assorted berries (blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries work best), plus extra for garnish
Instructions
  1. While tart is baking, prepare pastry cream: Scald cream and milk by placing over medium heat until steam rises. Remove from heat. 
  2. In a small bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk egg mixture quickly into the scalded liquid, then return to heat. 
  3. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken. 
  4. Remove from heat immediately and stir in butter and vanilla. 
  5. Cool, then spread in cooled, baked tart shell. Arrange assorted berries on top.

Creme Anglaise (Custard):

Ingredients
2 cups whole milk or heavy cream
3 tablespoons Blackberry Sage Tea leaves (from The Republic of Tea but any berry-flavored black tea will do)
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Instructions

While the pastry cream and tart shell are cooling, prepare the Creme Anglaise.

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat milk and tea leaves until bubbles form at edges. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. While cream is heating, whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a bowl (on medium speed 4 to 5 minutes) until mixture is smooth, pale in color, and doubled in volume. 
  3. While eggs are mixing, reheat milk until steaming, then remove from heat. Whisk the egg mixture into milk, stirring constantly.
  4. Return mixture to low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula, about 15 minutes, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and has the consistency of thick gravy. Cool by placing saucepan in larger pot filled with ice cubes and cold water. Stir continuously until cooled, 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. To serve, place tart slice on plate. Pour Creme Anglaise over slice and garnish with extra berries.
About The Author

The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

We love introducing fun new recipes as well as time-tested recipes, straight from the archives! Read More from The Old Farmer's Almanac Editors

What's cooking in The Old Farmer's Store?
More Like This
No content available.

Comments

georgis (not verified)

4 months ago

You carefully explain how to temper the eggs for the pastry cream filling, then it says to keep adding the hot milk/cream "until it all begins to simmer and thicken" - which it won't do while it's off the heat. Sure enough, the next paragraph says to remove from heat. Kinda mangled!

Temper the eggs, slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the rest of the milk/cream, put it back on the heat. NOW you keep whisking to keep it smooth, and until it begins to simmer and thicken.