Lunch: Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Recipe by Kelly Senyei Add a festive twist to your 4th of July feast with a quick and easy recipe for the best fruit tart topped with vanilla pastry cream.

Ingredients

1 sheet (half of a 17.3-oz. package ) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup star fruit slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Unfold the puff pastry sheet onto a lightly flour work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll over the pastry lightly to seal together any perforations. Using a sharp knife, score a border 1 inch from the edges, careful not cut all the way through the pastry. Prick inside the border all over with a fork.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon water then brush the border of the pastry with the egg wash. Bake the pastry for 12 to 15 minutes until it’s golden brown and puffed throughout. Remove the pastry from the oven and set it aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 3 egg yolks with the sugar until well combined. Sift the cornstarch into the bowl with the eggs, whisking until the mixture is smooth.
Add the milk and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil just until the milk starts to foam. Remove the milk from the heat then very slowly whisk it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from curdling.
Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan set over medium heat and cook it, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil. Once it boils, continue whisking it for an additional 30 to 60 seconds until it thickens then immediately pour it into a clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so that it’s touching the top of the pastry cream. Place the bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice water to bring the pastry cream to room temperature.
Once the pastry cream reaches room temperature, whisk it to remove any lumps. Pat down the center of the puff pastry tart shell inside the border (if it rose at all) then spread the pastry cream into the tart.
Top the pastry cream with the blueberries, raspberries and star fruit slices. Slice and serve the tart immediately or cover it securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to serve.