Summer Berry Tart

Summer Berry Tart
Makes 1 9-inch tart, 8-12 servings

Sweet Tart Dough (makes 2 x 9-inch tart shells)

• 255g unsalted butter, room temperature

• 200g sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 500g all purpose flour

Vanilla Pastry Cream

• 2 cups whole milk

• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 115g sugar

• 30g cornflour

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 55g unsalted butter

To Serve

• 570g mixed berries (including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or whatever you like the most)

• Icing sugar, to dust

1. To make the sweet pastry, combine butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth, and then add in 1 egg. When combined, add the remaining egg and mix until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. While dough is chilling, make the pastry cream. In a saucepan, combine the milk, vanilla bean and seeds and salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to just under a boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour.

4. Have a heatproof bowl and a fine mesh sieve ready. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornflour. Add the eggs and whisk until evenly blended.

5. Remove the vanilla beans from the milk, return the pan to medium heat and heat until just under a boil again, whisking occasionally. Take the pan off the heat. Add about one third of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Add another ladleful of the hot milk to the eggs and whisk again. All at once, pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the hot milk. Place back over medium heat and whisk until it is as thick as lightly whipped cream. Remove from the heat and pour through the sieve into the waiting bowl.

6. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the butter into 1-tablespoon pieces. When the pastry cream is ready, add the butter bit by bit, whisking in each addition before adding the next one. Let the pastry cream cool for a few minutes, and then cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the cream to stop a skin forming. Let cool for about 30 minutes and then refrigerate until chilled (at least 2 hours.)

7. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface until about 3mm thick, working quickly to prevent the dough becoming warm. Carefully transfer to a tart pan, easing it into the bottom and sides, and then pressing gently into place. Trim the dough level with the top of the pan with a sharp knife. Place pastry shell in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until it is firm.

8. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Dock the bottom of the tart shell with a fork, making tiny holes about 5cm apart. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely on wire racks.

9. When cooled, spoon in the pastry cream, scatter mixed berries on top and dust with icing sugar, if desired. This tart is best eaten the day it is made.