French Shortcrust Pastry Tart with Summer Berries (Full Recipe)
French Short Crust Pastry Tart with Summer Berries – French Cooking Techniques
Short Crust
Makes | 1 × 12-inch tart crust
Ingredients
230 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
84 grams (2/3 cup) powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
5 grams (2 teaspoons) salt
400 grams (2 ½ cups) AP flour
36 grams (2 tablespoons) milk, or as needed
Tools
Stand mixer
Plastic wrap
Instructions
1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add the egg yolks and mix until incorporated.
3. Add the salt and mix.
4. Once fully incorporated, add the flour in three installments with the mixer on low. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the milk as needed when the mixture is too dry.
5. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, then press into a 1-inch-thick disk. Do not knead. Chill the dough until firm, at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
6. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until ready to use
Berry Tartlet
You can use any fruit or nut garnish you like in this recipe, but colorful berries really make it pop. This is one of a few recipes where it is acceptable to cheat on seasonal fruit.
Makes | 6 tartlets
Cooking day | 2 ½–3 hours
Ingredients
Short Crust
Crème pâtissière
Mixed berries or other fresh, in-season fruit
Honey, as needed to drizzle the finished tartlets
Tools
6 × 4-inch flan rings or tartlet molds
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
Instructions
1. Portion the dough into six 60-gram balls and keep them chilled. Take one dough ball and use your hand to press it into a ¾-inch-thick disk. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circular shape 1/8-inch thick. Use the bare minimum amount of bench flour.
2. Lay the dough round over a flan ring and press it into the ring. Don’t worry if the dough tears, you can press it back together. Repeat with the other dough balls.
3. Chill the prepared flan rings in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
4. Use a paring knife to trim the excess pastry hanging over the rim of the flan ring to leave a level top edge. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough. Press the dough firmly back down into the corner of the molds and chill for another 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
6. Bake the tartlet shells on parchment paper for 15 minutes and then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake for another 10–15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature.
8. When you’re ready to serve, fill the tartlet shells with the crème pâtissière, top with berries, and drizzle with honey. If you want to serve later, store baked tartlet shells in an airtight container at room temperature and keep the pastry cream covered in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
