Blackberry and fig tart
Updated: Jul 21, 2020
This is a little beauty of a tart, all you really need is the pastry and filling and top it off with what ever fruits are in season! VOILA!
10" shallow tart tin
Serves 8-10
180 degrees
Pastry
250g of plain flour
60g of icing sugar or castor sugar
120g of butter
75mls cold water
Filling
5 egg yolks
60g castor sugar
35g plain flour
A few drops of vanilla extract or a vanilla pod
300ml milk
3tbsp of custard powder
Method
Cube your butter in to 1" pieces and add it too you your flour,
using the tips of your fingers rub in until you get an almost
breadcrumb texture.
This next bit you will need to do very,carefully,
a tablespoon at a time add the cold water, using a fork
(the folk for some reason seems to the man for the job, it does great work here)
begin to bring your mix together.
You will know there is enough water added when the mix is easily pulled it together
with your hands without it being to wet, or too dry so that you are forcing it, only do this until it comes to a neat dough, roll and flatten with the palm of your hand (quickens chilling time)
Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to rest for an hour.
*Do not over work your pastry, this will realise the gluten in the flour and cause it become tough when cooked, we want short and buttery.
Creme Patrissere
Heat your milk in a heavy based pan with your vanilla pod or extract.
By hand or with an electric mixer, mix together your egg yolks, sugar, flour and custard powder until it turns pale and fluffy.
When your milk is heated, to a low simmering stage, begin to whisk your egg mixture while pouring the milk in a slow steady stream mixing all the time. Use a Kenwood mixer if available.
Wash your pan, and return the mix to it, using a low heat, a spatula a lot of patience begin to stir.
Do not leave the pan, its calm waters on the top leaving you no idea
that it is catching and burning underneath, so just stand, stare and
stir.
The mixture will begin to thicken, I usually change to a whisk at this stage just to make sure I beat out any lumps, continue to stir until it's a nice thick consistency.
Place some cling film over the top of the creme Pat, this should stop the top skinning over and leave to the side to cool.
Line you tart tin with a generous slick of butter and a circle of baking paper on the bottom.
Take your pastry from the fridge and on a floured work top begin to roll out, doing a half turn of the pastry every 3 rolls, this should keep it evenly rolled and make a nice neat circle, that's the theory anyway.
Once you have rolled it out enough take your rolling pin and place it about half way down your pastry and flip the front half back over the rolling pin, then use it scoop your pastry up and cover your tin.
Gently tuck in pastry to the sides and using a bit of cut off press in to the edges to the tin, so you have a nice sharp corner on your finished result.
Put back in the freezer for 10 mins or the fridge for 30 your call, this is to allow the pastry to rest and cool, its all in an effort to avoid shrinking pastry.
When sufficiently cooled, trim the sides to the rim of the tin, if your nerves can't face the thought having come so far only to face sunken pastry sides upon opening the oven door, then trim them back to about 2" from the tin edge and trim after cooking.
Some pastry chefs will cry upon seeing this, but they aren't in the kitchen with you so.......
Prick the inside of your pastry lined tin and cover with some parchment paper and add your baking beans (or coins or kidney beans, I used dried lentils for a while so no judgement here)
I like to leave this in for 15-20 mins and get a good bake on it, when it comes out it should be a light golden brown and probably still a little undercooked in the middle.
Whisk up an egg add a bit of sugar to it, cause why not!? And brush on, put it back in the oven for 5-8 mins, until you get a nice brown bottom, naughty.
When cooked, allow to cool for 10 mins and spoon in your creme pat mix, even it out with a palette knife and sprinkle on whatever fruit you like, berries, figs being my favourite. Chill for a few hours, preferable over night and enjoy with a nice glass of whatever is in the fridge or tea, your choice.
And as always with a massive dollop of cream!