Easy as Pie

As the weather changes and the leaves turn it is impossible not to feel a twinge of nostalgia for another summer gone. Every summer, Farmers Markets and grocery stores practically burst with fresh fruit and produce. I make a bee line for the berries and load my cart up with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries like they are going out of style. I also get down and dirty with my kids picking strawberries at the local farms. I make jam with some , freeze some , eat some and make tarts with the rest.

Thoughts of burgeoning waistlines fall to the wayside as I indulge in making luscious berry tarts, arranging them willy nilly. I feel not unlike my nine year old playing with his Lego's but it is therapeutic to create a beautiful tart. Try it if you don't believe me....

A fruit/berry tart is a three step process. The first step is to hull, rinse and air dry the fruit( or with a paper towel). The second step is to make a batch of dough. I usually stick with a Pate Sucree which is sweet pie dough.The last step is is to make the Pastry Cream for the filling. At first this may seem confusing and time consuming exercise, but try it and you may never eat a store- bought tart again.

Recipe for a Berry Tart:

To make the Pate Sucree:

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar

1/2 stick ( 4tbsp) butter( cold)

1 egg

Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Roughly chop the cold butter and combine it quickly with the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add in the egg and mix till the dough comes together. Remove the dough and working quickly, shape into a ball. Do NOT knead the dough. Wrap and chill the dough till it is firm to the touch for about an hour.

Once the dough is chilled, sprinkle flour on the board and on the pin and roll the dough into an 11 inch circle, turning the dough to prevent it from sticking. Place over a 8 inch tart tin by carrying over with your rolling pin and push into place gently. Do NOT stretch the pastry. Cut off any excess dough by rolling the pin over the tart tin. Freeze the tart shell for 20-30 minutes.

Remove the shell from the freezer and spray a piece of tin foil ( large enough to cover the shell )with cooking spray. Using a fork, poke holes in the pastry and cover with the foil. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or weights( black eyed peas work well)and bake in a oven preheated to 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil with the beans and bake for another 10- 15 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool.

To make the Pastry Cream:

3 egg yolks
1 cup Milk

1 tbsp Vanilla essence
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch/corn flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 tbsp butter

Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla. Whip the egg yolks with the sugar using a hand held mixer or whisk. Combine the cornstarch with the eggs till it turns thick and smooth. Slowly pour in half the hot milk, whisking continuously. When the mixture is smooth pour it back into the pot with the remaining milk and cook over low heat while whisking till it becomes thick and creamy. Whisk in the butter. Remove and cool.

Make a glaze by mixing 4 tbsp apricot jam and 2 tsp water. Simmer till it becomes shiny and runny.Brush over the tart shell. Fill in the tart shell with the pastry cream. Top with fruit or berries of your choice and brush with the remaining glaze.