The Wednesday Chef: SHF #12 - Regina Schrambling's Summer Fruit Tart

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My very first food-blogging community event! I'm excited to be participating. For this month's Sugar High Friday, Elise of Simple Recipes decided on the theme of Cooking Up Custard. As luck would have it, a few weeks ago the L.A. Times published an article on fruit tarts with a base of creme patissiere (pardon the fact that I can't find my accent grave and aigu). Regina Schrambling cobbled together a recipe using a shortbread tart crust from Joanne Weir, a pastry cream filling from a "Careme-worshipping dessert teacher", and a Madeleine Kamman-inspired lime marmalade glaze to top off the fresh berries that adorn the tart. I decided to make the tart for my friend Julie's birthday this week.

To start with, I still had leftover tart dough from my blueberry tart sitting in the fridge. Since it was the best part about that failed tart, I decided I could substitute it for the lime-scented shortbread crust. I patted the leftover dough into the tart pan and blind-baked it until golden. Then I set about making the custard filling. First I whisked together egg yolks, cornstarch and some sugar.

Then I set a pot of milk and cream and additional sugar on the stove and brought it barely to a boil. I poured a bit of the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the eggs, whisked it together to temper the eggs, then poured that mixture back into the milk-and-cream pot. I whisked everything together until it bubbled and thickened, turning into a gorgeous, glossy, yellow cream.

I poured the custard into a bowl, then smoothed a piece of clingfilm onto the top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, I plopped the chilled custard into the tart shell,

and smoothed it out with a spatula.

I carefully brushed off plump blackberries, raspberries and glossy red currants, and set about carefully arranging them on top of the cream-filled tart in concentric circles. I decided to use red currant jelly to glaze the berries, but if you have lime marmalade at your disposal use that instead! The reddish color of the glaze looked odd against the creamy-white backdrop of the custard, in the small places where the glaze had dripped down between the berries. Details, details - I know.

Happy Birthday, Julie! Hope you liked the tart!

Edited on Monday, September 18 to give an update on Elise's roundup of SHF #12. Check out all the delicious entries here!