Raspberry Creme Tart
A Beautiful Dessert - Tastes as Good as it looks!
raspberry creme tart
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets
1 cup large fresh raspberries, rinsed
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/2 vanilla bean, slit open and
scraped)
2 cups hot whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-Place unwrapped frozen puff pastry sheets on clean counter. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then carefully try to unfold flat on surface. If dough is not yet ready, tent the dough by opening the 3 surfaces so they are exposed to the air and let rest another 15 minutes.
-Roll dough on lightly floured counter out to a 12 inch by 10" rectangle. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpad. Pierce pastry at frequent intervals with fork tines. Place in freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Remove from freezer and place immediately into preheated oven. Bake pastry for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
-While the first sheet of dough is cooking roll out the other sheet of dough to a 14 by 12 inch rectangle. Cut eight strips about 3/4 inch wide down the length of the dough. Take 2 dough strips at a time and holding at one end, twist them tightly about each other to create a rope of dough. (2 strips should end up 12 inches long and 2 strips should be 10 inches long.) Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpad and place in freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and place in 425 degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. (If ropes begin to curl, reach in with a spatula or wooden spoon to straighten them. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
PASTRY CREAM (Creme Patiserrie):
-Place the 6 egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl and beat until thick ribbons fall from the beaters when lifted. Stir in the flour.
-Place the milk into a medium-sized saucepan. (If using the vanilla bean, split the bean open and scrape out the seeds with a small sharp knife and add the seeds and the pod to the milk. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium- high heat then remove from heat.
-Add about 1/2 cup hot milk to the egg yolks beating constantly until well blended. Add another 1/2 cup milk and stir it in then return milk and eggs mixture back to the rest of the milk in the saucepan. Heat until mixture comes to a boil over medium-high heat then continue to boil and stir for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the butter and if using vanilla extract, add that. (If vanilla pod was used, remove it at this point.) Place pastry cream into a bowl and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the cream and chill for at least 1 hour.
TO ASSEMBLE TART:
-Place flat sheet of cooked pastry on serving tray. Trim ropes of pastry with a small sharp knife until a rope fits nicely down each outer edge of the tart. Pipe or spoon a small amount of the pastry cream on the bottom side of each rope then press in place on the edges of the tart.
-Fill the indentation in the tart with the pastry cream, smoothing to an even surface with a spatula or back of a spoon.
-Place fresh raspberries, hole side down on the pastry cream in an interesting pattern leaving space to pipe whipped cream in between the berries. Place remaining whipped cream into pastry bag with star tip and pipe cream in between the raspberries on the top of the tart. Chill for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.
-To serve, cut down the middle lengthwise and then across at regular intervals 3 or 4 times to create 8 - 10 servings.
Prepared puff pastry tart shell - golden brown and flaky!
Spoon pastry cream into tart shell and smooth surface.
Arrange raspberries on top and pipe whipped cream in between.
Elegant and delicious - French patisserie worthy!
