Berry Custard Tart

Step 1

Make the tart shell dough first as it needs to rest. In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.

Step 2

Add the cold butter cubes all at once. Pulse or rub with fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, sandy crumbs with no large butter pieces remaining.

Step 3

Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of ice cold water. Mix just until the dough starts to come together into a shaggy mass. Add remaining water a few drops at a time if it still looks dry.

Step 4

Press the dough into a flat disc — do not knead. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5

While the dough rests, make the pastry cream. Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until it just begins to steam. Do not boil. Remove from heat.

Step 6

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until pale yellow and smooth.

Step 7

Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly and vigorously. Pour in a thin, slow stream to avoid scrambling the eggs. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.

Step 8

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 2 to 4 minutes until the mixture thickens dramatically. Keep whisking for another 30 seconds once thickened.

Step 9

Remove from heat. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth and glossy.

Step 10

Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface with no air gaps. Refrigerate until fully cold, at least 1 hour.

Step 11

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the dough out into a circle slightly larger than your tart pan. Drape over the pan and press into the fluted sides without stretching. Trim excess.

Step 12

Prick the bottom with a fork about 12 to 15 times.

Step 13

Line the tart shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 18 minutes until the sides look set.

Step 14

Remove the parchment and weights. Bake for another 8 to 12 minutes until the bottom is fully golden brown. Let cool completely.

Step 15

Whisk the chilled pastry cream briefly to smooth it out. Spread evenly into the cooled tart shell.

Step 16

Arrange the fresh fruit decoratively on top — a ring of strawberries around the edge, blueberries inside that, raspberries in the center.

Step 17

For a professional finish, heat the apricot jam with warm water until loose and brush lightly over the fruit.

Step 18

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve cold.