Free form fruit tart

 
                            Free Form Fruit Tart
 
 Recipe By     : Cooking Live Show #CL8935
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Cooking Live                     Import
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
                         dough:
    1 1/4  cup           all-purpose -- bleached flour
    2      tablespoons   sugar
      1/8  teaspoon      salt
      1/8  teaspoon      baking powder
    7      tablespoons   cold -- unsalted butter
                         -- (one stick minus 1
                         -- tablespoon)
    1                    egg
    1      tablespoon    water
                         easy pastry cream:
    3      tablespoons   sugar
    2      tablespoons   all-purpose bleached flour
    1      pinch         salt
      3/4  cups          milk
    1                    egg
    1                    egg yolk
    1      teaspoon      vanilla extract
    1      tablespoon    soft unsalted butter
    2      teaspoons     orange liqueur or kirsch
 
 To make the tart dough:
 
 To mix the dough in the food processor, place flour, sugar, salt and
 baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 or 4 times
 to mix. Cut butter into 7 or 8 pieces and add to work bowl. Pulse
 about 12 to 15 times, until mixture is reduced to a fine powder, do
 not allow to become pasty. Add egg and continue to pulse until dough
 forms a ball. Remove dough from work bowl to lightly floured work
 surface and pat dough into a 5-inch disk. Use immediately, or wrap in
 plastic and chill until firm before using.
 
 To make a free-form tart crust, roll dough to a 12-inch disk and
 transfer it to a parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet or the back of a
 jelly-roll pan. Using a plate or cardboard disk as a pattern, trim the
 dough to an even 12-inch diameter. Fold under about 1/2-inch of dough
 at the edge of the disk of dough, then flute the edge as if it were a
 pie, to make the edge stand up (use the thumb and index finger of one
 hand on the outside of the tart shell and the index finger of the
 other hand on the inside and pinch gently from the outside while
 pressing lightly from the inside) repeat all around the edge of the
 crust. Pierce the dough with a fork before baking.
 
 Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set a rack in the middle level. Place
 pan in oven and lower heat to 350 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes,
 checking once or twice. When baked, remove pan
 
 from oven to a rack to cool.
 
 To make the easy pastry cream:
 
 Combine sugar, flour and salt in a 1 to 1 1/2 quart non-reactive
 saucepan. Stir with a small whisk to mix. Whisk in milk, then egg and
 yolk. Place over low heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream
 thickens and comes to a boil. Allow to boil 10 or 15 seconds, whisking
 constantly. Remove from heat whisk in vanilla and butter. Scrape the
 pastry cream into a non-reactive bowl and press plastic wrap against
 the surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Immediately before
 using pastry cream, stir in optional liqueur.
 
 Filling the shell:
 
 Fruit: Any fruit normally served uncooked will be perfect in this type
 of a tart. Try to avoid apples, pears, bananas, peaches and apricots
 because they discolor, even when glazed. Best fruits to use and how to
 pare them:
 
 Strawberries: rinse, hull and halve.
 
 Raspberries: pick over just before using.
 
 Blueberries: rinse and dry on pan lined with paper towels.
 
 Blackberries, etc: rinse and dry on pan lined with paper towels.
 
 Kiwi: peel, halve and slice.
 
 Orange: peel, halve and slice.
 
 Seedless grapes: Stem, rise and halve if large.
 
 Mango or Papaya: peel, seed, slice.
 
 First, spread pastry cream evenly on bottom of crust. Arrange fruit in
 overlapping concentric rows, beginning at outside and working in
 toward center.
 
 For a "fruit salad" tart, toss fruit in a bowl (add a drop of Kirsch,
 if you wish), then pile fruit in on pastry cream in tart shell. You'll
 need about 6 cups of fruit for a 10-inch tart shell.
 
 Glazes: Combine 1/2 cup apple jelly, 1/2 cup apricot preserves and 1
 tablespoon water or liqueur in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer,
 stirring often. Strain into another pan and return to a boil. Allow to
 cool for 5 minutes, then gently brush on fruit. If you strain the
 glaze carefully, you may also use a small spay bottle to apply it. If
 tart is mostly red fruit, use currant jelly and strawberry or
 raspberry preserves.
 
 Toasted Sliced Almonds: Edge the crust with these. Toast almonds at
 350 degrees on a jelly roll pan, stirring often. Cool and sprinkle on
 fruit at edge of tart. Dust almonds lightly with confectioners' sugar.
 
 Pistachios: Bring pistachios to a boil in a large pan of water. Drain
 and rub in a towel to loosen skins. Separate pistachios from skins.
 Dry blanched pistachios 5 minutes at 325 degrees, being
 
 careful they do not color. Chop coarsely and sprinkle on fruit at edge
 of crust. DO NOT dust with confectioners' sugar.
 
 Confectioners' Sugar: If fruit is not glazed, dust heavily with
 confectioners' sugar immediately before serving.
 
 
 
 
                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -