How impressive is this tart? I learned how easy it is to make at the Viking Cooking School's Pie and Tart Workshop. We began with a Pate Sucré (a sweet short pastry) as our tart shell, blind baked it (or pre-baked it), filled it with lemon curd, and decorated it with fresh fruit. I would have never ordered this in a restaurant, but it was so incredibly delicious, I am now hooked. The tart shell is crispy and nutty, and the curd is lemony, sweet and buttery. Plus...you can make them up to two days in advance!!! This is the perfect dessert to serve on a hot summer night, or as an end to a rich, heavy, holiday meal.
I'll take you through this recipe step by step. It may seem overwhelming, but I promise you, this is not difficult to make. It may be a little time consuming, but there are no special cooking skills involved. Everyone in the class had a gorgeous tart to bring home, whether they were beginners or seasoned cooks. You can make the tart shells and the lemon curd in advance, not to mention that the entire tarts can be assembled in advance.
Let's start with the Pate Sucrée, or the sweet, short pastry. It is very simple to make. This pastry can be used for pies, tarts and other sweets. It should be tender and flaky. It won't stick to your pan, and will have little shrinkage. It is a great, all around recipe to have.
Pate Sucrée
9 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or scraping from the inside of one vanilla bean)
1 large egg
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
pinch salt
In an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and the egg and mix until just incorporated. Add the flour and the salt. Continue mixing until the dough just comes together, about 30 seconds.
Turn dough onto a lightly-floured surface and divide into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, or up to overnight. You can even freeze the dough at this point for up to three months.
Before rolling out, remove the disks from the refrigerator (thaw in the fridge overnight if they have been frozen) and let stand at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes to soften. You know have your dough ready to use!
On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk into a 1/4 inch thick circle disk, about 12 inches in diameter.
Place the dough in a buttered 9 inch tart pan and press into the sides of the pan. Chill for 30 minutes before baking.
Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and line with parchment paper. Fill to the brim with uncooked beans or pie weights.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes, or until tart is golden brown.
Lemon Curd
6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 T. lemon zest, divided
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice and half of zest in a large metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring constantly, until butter is incorporated.
Strain through a coarse strainer into a bowl and stir in remaining zest (optional). Cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Fruit Topping:
1/2 c. apricot preserves
2 T. water
2 c. ripe seasonal fruit (bananas, berries, grapes, mangoes, etc.)
In a small pan, mix the preserves and water over low heat until melted. Half of the glaze will spread on the bottom of the tart shell and half will be used to glaze the fruit.
To Assemble...
Using a pastry brush, spread some apricot glaze over the bottom of the tart shell. Next, spread in enough lemon curd to fill the tart shell about 2/3 of the way to the top. Arrange your fresh fruit in an attractive pattern on top. Lightly brush the remaining apricot glaze over the fruit. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to two days.
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