Custard Filled Fruit Tart

Short Crust Pastry: Makes one 9 inch pastry shell

1 Cup flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 Cup unsalted butter (not too cold)

1 Tablespoon water

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix flower, sugar, salt and lemon peel. (If you use salted butter, omit the salt here). Cut the butter into pats and work into flour mixture with clean hands or pastry blender until butter is in mostly cornmeal size pieces and mixture is beginning to hold together. Combine water and vanilla and work into flour-butter mixture, just until pastry is blended and will hold together if you press it.

Press into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. before baking, set shell in freezer, covered in foil for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably overnight.

Bake in re-heated 375 oven for about 25 minutes or until LIGHT golden brown.

PASTRY CREAM: makes 2 1/2 Cups

2 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Flour

6 Tablespoons Sugar

6 Egg yokes

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Teaspoon grated lemon peel

Scald milk - (just under boiling). Mix flour and sugar in a heavy, mom-corroding saucepan. Beat egg yokes until think and light colored. Thoroughly and slowly, whisk hot milk into the flour and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture has boiled for a minute or two.

Whisk a little of the mixture into the egg yokes to warm them and stir back into the flour mix (this is called tempering and is to make sure to not scramble the yokes). Mix well, being sure to incorporate all the flour mixture from the sides of the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pastry cream begins to hold a slight shape. It should cook to 170 degrees, important to cook thoroughly, but DO NOT EVER LET IT BOIL

Remove from heat, stir in butter then put through a medium fine strainer. Add vanilla and lemon, let cool, whisking occasionally so that a crust doesn't form

ASSEMBLY:

fruit

short crust pasty

pastry cream

cut up whatever fruit you want....but berries, stone fruit (peaches, plums etc) and kiwi fruit are the best

pour some cream into the base of the tart and then top with fruit in whatever pattern you want.

enjoy the extra cream with some extra fruit

ENJOY!