Oléron Berry Tart Recipes

THE QUICKEST BERRY TART

Steps:

• You can make the pastry by hand, or in a food processor. If making it by hand, sieve the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl from a height.
• Chop the butter into small cubes, then gently work the it into the flour and sugar with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Beat the egg and add to the mix with the milk and gently work it together using your hands until you have a ball. Don't work the pastry too much or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short.
• Sprinkle some flour over the dough and a clean work surface, and pat the ball into a thick flat round. Sprinkle over a little more flour, then wrap the pastry in clingfilm and pop it into the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
• Lightly oil the inside of a 25cm non-stick loose-bottomed tart tin.
• Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, then carefully roll out the pastry, turning it every so often, until you've got a circle about 0.5cm thick.
• Roll the pastry over the rolling pin, then unroll it into the tin, making sure you push it into all the sides.
• Trim off any extra pastry, and use it to patch any holes, then prick the base of the case all over with a fork, cover with clingfilm, and pop it into the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Line the pastry case with a large piece of greaseproof paper, pushing it right into the sides.
• Fill the pastry case right up to the top with uncooked rice, and bake blind for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Take the case out, carefully remove the rice (save it for baking blind another time) and greaseproof paper, and return the case to the oven to cook for a further 10 minutes, until it's firm and almost biscuit-like. Leave to cool completely.
• Finely grate most of the orange zest into a bowl and whisk with 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar and the cream until you get a silky mixture that forms soft peaks.
• Put half the berries into another bowl and use a fork to mash them up with the remaining tablespoon of vanilla sugar. Break up the meringue nests into rough pieces.
• Gently fold the mushed-up berries, and the meringue pieces, into the cream.
• Tip the cream mixture into the cooled tart case and gently shake it to help spread it out to the edges. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly, then sprinkle the remaining berries all over the top.
• Finely grate over the remaining orange zest and serve right away, with a dusting of icing sugar.

CLASSIC FRENCH FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Make the Crust: Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.
• Make the Pastry Cream: In a medium pot, heat the milk until just boiling. Remove the pot from heat. While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. (This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.) Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent "scrambled eggs," especially on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, whisking constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles. (See note below if you see any coagulated bits of egg in your custard.) Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and push it down in the bowl so it sits directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill until cold, a few hours (or up to 2 days before serving).
• Assemble the Tart: Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart shell to a serving platter. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. In a small saucepan, heat the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. (Alternatively, heat it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.) If the jam is especially chunky, strain it through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
• Note: Avoid melon and other fruit with high moisture content, like sliced citrus. These will wilt quickly and seep moisture into the pastry cream. Also avoid oxidizing fruit like apples and bananas; these fruits will turn brown. Berries should be fully dried after rinsing (raspberries should not be washed) and strawberries should be sliced.
• Note: If you see any coagulated egg bits in your finished custard, strain the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The pastry cream can be made up to 2 days before serving. The tart can be assembled and refrigerated up to one day before serving.

OLéRON BERRY TART

Steps:

• Pastry.
• Combine flour and sugar in a bowl, cut butter into flour/sugar mixture, toss then rub with your fingers until it resembles corn meal.
• Combine cream and egg yolk and add to the butter/sugar/flour mixture.
• Lightly mix until it forms a ball, add a little water if necessary to hold it together (1 or 2 tablespoons at the most).
• Sprinkle flour on a board and gently knead the dough with the heel of your hand until the flour has been worked through.
• Wrap ball of dough in plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• After 3 hours, remove dough and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
• Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle and line an 8- or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Be careful not to pull the edges.
• Place prepared crust in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line the frozen tart shell with foil and fill with dried beans to weigh it down.
• Bake 20minutes that remove foil and beans and return to the oven for 4 or 5 minutes or until golden.
• Cool while preparing filling.
• Filling.
• Process almonds and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor to a fine powder.
• Cream butter and remaining sugar.
• Add egg yolks and sir until smooth.
• Add the ground almond sugar mixture and the vanilla.
• Spread almond cream into the baked and cooled tart shell.
• Arrange 2 cups of the raspberries over the top of the cream.
• Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool for 2 hours.
• When you are ready to serve, cover with the remaining 2 cups of raspberries.
• Optional glaze: melt 2 tablespoons of currant jam and 1 tablespoon water in a pan and allow to cool, then brush over fresh berries.

BERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Using a 4-in. round cookie cutter, cut 12 circles, rerolling scraps as necessary. Press circles onto bottoms and up sides of ungreased muffin cups., Mix sugar and cornstarch; toss with berries and lemon juice. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling into each cup. Bake on a lower oven rack until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 24-26 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack; cool completely., For topping, beat cream until soft peaks form. In another bowl, mix lemon curd, sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon whipped cream; fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon over filling. If desired, top with fresh berries. Refrigerate until serving.

BERRY TART WITH MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Roll rolling pin over top of shell to trim dough flush with rim and with a fork prick bottom of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 20 minutes and carefully remove foil and weights or rice. Bake shell until golden, about 10 minutes more, and cool completely in pan on a rack. Shell may be made 1 day ahead and kept in pan, loosely covered, at room temperature.
• In a bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer beat together mascarpone, cream, and sugar until mixture holds stiff peaks. Spoon mixture into shell, spreading evenly.
• Quarter strawberries and in a large bowl combine with remaining berries. In a small saucepan simmer marmalade and liqueur, stirring, until reduced to about 3 tablespoons and pour over berries. With a rubber spatula gently stir berries to coat evenly. Mound berries decoratively on mascarpone cream. Tart may be assembled 2 hours ahead and chilled. Bring tart to room temperature and remove side of pan before serving.