Tarte aux fruits

     Here it is... the Tarte aux fruits recipe that is made with the delicious vanilla pastry cream I told you about yesterday.  The tart recipe is from a September 16, 1984, New York Times Magazine article by the late Craig Clairborne and Pierre Franey.  As was the case with Mr. Clairborne, this type of tart was the first true French pastry I ever sampled.  He described the flavors as "haunting".  It is hard to beat a dessert such as this, made with fresh, local berries, a crisp, buttery crust, and of course, the vanilla pastry cream.  It is a classic.  The one thing I would suggest -- assemble right before eating, or refrigerate after assembly if not serving immediately.  Humidity is not kind to this dessert and will result in a soggy crust.  Also, I am including Craig Claiborne's recipe for the pastry shell.  I used my favorite almond pastry for my tart.

                                       •  Tarte aux fruits  •
            from a 1984 NY Times article by Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

• 1 baked tart shell (see recipe following)
• 2 1/4 cups pastry cream (see recipe)
• 2 to 3 pints fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves ( I used currant jelly)
• 2 tablespoons water (I used brandy)
1.  Bake the tart shell and let it cool.  If a removable-bottom pan was used, remove the shell from the rim in which it was baked.
2.  Fill the tart shell with pastry cream and smooth over the top.
3.  Garnish the top of the pastry cream, placing berries as close as possible to completely cover the cream. 
4.  To glaze the berries, combine the preserves with the water in a small saucepan.  Bring to the boil, stirring.  Put the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.  Dip a pastry brush into the glaze and brush the tops of the berries with it.

                                         Baked Tart Shell
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons very cold butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
1.  Place the flour, salt and sugar in the container of a food processor.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add it.  Add the yolks.  Blend briefly and gradually add the water.  Add only enough water until the dough pulls away from the sides of the container.
2.  Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for one hour. 
3.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400˚F.
4.  Roll out the dough and use it to line a 10-inch tart pan.  Line the dough with foil and fill with dried beans or rice.
5.  Place a baking sheet in the oven.  Place the pastry shell on the baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.  Remove and discard the dried beans or rice and foil.  Reduce the oven heat to 375˚F.
6.  Continue baking until the tart shell is golden brown on the bottom.  Remove and let cool.