Cakes and Pastries Recipes - Dried Exotic Fruit Tart with Pastry Cream Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 8:

• 1 1/8 lb (500 g) mixed dried exotic fruits

• 3 tbsp Armagnac or Cognac

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 8 1/2 oz (250g) pie crust dough (refer recipe)

• 2 oz (50g) butter

Pastry cream:

• 3 oz (80g) sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• 7/8 oz (25 g) potato starch

• 1 1/4 cup (30 cl) cream

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 390°F/200°C.

2. Place the dried fruit in a salad bowl; add the liqueur and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Allow to soak until needed.

3. Roll out the dough. Line a greased 10 1/3 inch (26 cm) tart pan with it, folding the sides nicely. Cover with a piece of baking paper and dried beans.  Bake blind in the center of the oven for 20 min.

4. Prepare the pastry cream: using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and the yolks in a bowl until the mixture whitens. Add the starch and then 3/4 cup of cream. Pour the mixture into a thick-bottomed saucepan and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens, stirring all the time. Away from the heat, slowly mix in the remaining cream.

5. Take the tart crust out of the oven. Discard the paper and the beans, Pour the cream into the crust and smooth it out. Sprinkle with dried fruits and the liqueur, pressing down the fruit slightly with the back of a spoon.

6. Cover the surface with 1 oz (30g) of butter cut into thin shavings and dust with the remaining sugar. Increase the temperature to 410°F/210°C and bake for 10min.

7. Take the tart out of the oven and turn it out carefully on a serving dish.