Buttery Gluten-Free Fruit Tart
yields: 10 slices, one 9-inch tart or 4 mini 4-inch tarts
This classic French gluten-free fruit tart has a vanilla-scented pastry cream spread into a gluten-free tart crust and topped with glistening fresh berries. This buttery grain-free tart crust is enriched with egg yolks for a crisp shortbread cookie-like texture.
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Tart Crust
- 1 9-inch gluten-free tart crust, fully baked
- Optional 1.5 ounces of finely chopped white chocolate, If assembling tart in advance
Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fruit Tart
- 2-3 cups fresh fruit, such as mixed berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries (see above for other fruit options!), washed and dried
- Optional: Fresh mint for garnish
- ¼ cup apricot jam or preserves
- 1 tablespoon water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the gluten-free tart crust according to the recipe, baking fully and letting cool completely before filling. Note: if you plan to fully assemble your tart several hours or a day in advance, see make-ahead note below about adding a white chocolate moisture barrier.
- While the dough chills before baking, prepare the pastry cream. Combine the milk and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking, until just beginning to simmer, but not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. Note: if using the vanilla extract or paste, don't add it at this step. Instead, just heat the milk, but no need to steep it.
- In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath by filling it with ice and cold water. Set aside.
- Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until it becomes pale yellow and smooth. Tip: place the bowl on a kitchen towel to help keep it still while you whisk. At first, it'll look dark yellow and clumpy, but after a few minutes, it'll become pale and smooth.
- Once the milk has steeped, scrape and remove the vanilla bean pod, then, slowly pour about ¼ cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, while constantly whisking. This tempers the eggs to keep them from scrambling. Continue pouring the remainder of the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium-low heat.
- Cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream begins to boil (stop whisking every 30 seconds to check for bubbles), then cook, whisking for just 1 minute longer. The pastry cream will have thickened to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until completely melted and combined.
- Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, then press plastic wrap directly over the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Place the bottom of the bowl into the prepared ice bath and let cool completely, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once the cream and the tart are both completely cool and you're almost ready to serve, whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth. Spread the pastry cream in an even layer on the bottom of the tart pan with an offset spatula. Top with plenty of fresh fruit, whole or sliced.
- Heat the apricot jam in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, then stir in 1 tablespoon of water. Strain and press it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any chunky bits, then carefully brush it over the fruit to make it glisten and keep the fruit from drying out.
- Remove the tart from the pan and chill until ready to serve. Tip: To remove the tart from the pan, slide a thin knife along the bottom edge where the removable bottom meets the side ring and gently tilt the knife to pop the tart out of the pan. Then slide a thin knife or long offset spatula under the tart to pop it off the base.
- Note: This tart is best served within 2-4 hours after being assembled, but all the pieces will keep separately for a few days until ready to serve. If planning to make the entire tart further in advance, see notes below about adding a thin layer of melted white chocolate to keep the crust from soaking in the moisture from the pastry cream. Store any leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Make-ahead gluten-free fruit tart
Perhaps one of the best parts of this recipe is the ability to make some of all of it in advance! Here are some options for making it in advance:- Prepare pastry cream: Prepare the pastry cream up to the step you press plastic wrap directly to the surface and chill it for up to 4 days in advance.
- Prepare and chill the tart dough: Prepare the tart crust up to the step where you prick it with a fork. At this point, cover the tart dough completely with plastic wrap and then freeze it for up to 2 weeks in advance. Bake it straight from the freezer, as directed. This is my recommended method if making more than a day in advance for the freshest crust!
- Fully baked tart crust: You can bake the tart crust up to 2 days in advance. Once cooled, cover it and store in the fridge for up to two days.
- Fully assembling tart in advance: If you're planning to assemble the tart several hours or a day in advance, create a moisture barrier with white chocolate to ensure the crust stays crisp. Sprinkle 1.5 ounces of finely chopped white chocolate in the warm tart and let it sit for several minutes to melt before spreading it with an offset spatula or spoon into an even later.
Making Mini Tarts
This tart can also be baked in mini tart pans for individual servings. The same recipe will make four 4-inch mini tarts. You'll follow the recipe the exact same way, but bake the crusts for about 5 minutes less.