Fresh Fruit Tart with Creme Chiboust

In my opinion these tarts are not worth all the effort to make from scratch, as I did not find the end product worth the amount of time the tarts took to make. Nowadays we can buy good pastry and creme patisserie in supermarkets and they are as good as homemade. But this recipe is good to follow to make any type of pastry. You could make the tart with just a creme patisserie inside and not bother with the italienne meringue. The italienne meringue only makes the filling lighter, due to all the air in the egg whites.

TIPS:

The key to making a creme patisserie is speed. Get all of the ingredients out and measured before starting to make it. If you stop mixing the creme patisserie whilst it is on the heat then it will form lumps, as mine did.

When making the italienne meringue a copper pan is essential as copper is very conductive and the sides of the pan need to be hot. If the sides of the pan are cool when you pour out the sugar syrup then it will harden before it reaches the egg whites. Also a stand up mixer is useful or another person to help because you need to pour on the sugar syrup whilst mixing the egg whites.

Ingredients:
For the pate sucre:
250g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, cold and diced into small squares
100g icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
For the creme patissiere:
3 egg yolks
40g Castor sugar
15g custard powder
175g milk
For the meringue italienne:
40ml water
180g Castor sugar
15ml glucose (available from most supermarkets)
3 egg whites



To make the pate sucre:




1) Weight out all of the ingredients.



2) Pour the flour onto a clean work surface.



3) Make a well in the middle of the flour.



4) Pour the butter into the well in the middle of
 the flour.



5) Using your fingertips work the butter into
the flour. 



6) When the butter and flour are completely
combined, make another well in the centre
and pour in the icing sugar.



7) Next crack the two eggs into the well with the
 icing sugar. Using your finger tips combine the
 mixture into a ball. and place it in the fridge for
at least 1 hour or several days until you are
 ready to use it.



8) Remove the dough from the fridge and place
 onto a floured surface ready to roll.
Preheat the oven to C200.




9) Roll the dough out to about 5mm thick,
on a floured surface. 



10) Using a fluted pastry cutter cut out rounds.



11) Lightly grease your chosen tin and then place
 the pastry rounds into the tin.  Prick with a fork.



12) Line the bottom of the pastry case with
greaseproof paper and fill it will baking beans
or as I have used dried haricot beans. Cook until
the pastry is lightly golden at the edges.



To make the creme patisserie:



1) Combine the egg yolks and one third of
the sugar in a bowl.



2) Whisk the 2 together until they are pale and
 foamy. Sift in the custard powder and mix well.

3) Combine the rest of the sugar and milk in a
saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon
 as the mixture starts to boil pour one third onto
the egg mixture, stirring with a whisk to prevent
lumps forming.  Pour the mixture back into the
pan and boil over a gentle heat for 2 minutes.

4) Tip the custard back into a bowl and put
lumps of butter on the surface to stop a
skin forming. Set aside.

To make the meringue italienne:

1) Put the water, sugar and glucose in a copper
pan over a medium heat. Stir with a skimmer
until it boils. Wash down the sugar crystals
which form around the edges with a brush
 dipped in cold water.  Increase the heat
so the sugar boils rapidly.

 



2) Use a sugar thermometer to check when the
sugar reaches C110. At this point beat the
egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff.
Keep an eye on the sugar and take it off the
pan when it reaches C121



3) Pour the hot sugar syrup over the egg whites
in a thin stream whilst mixing the egg whites
at a low speed. Continue to mix a low speed
until the mixture is completely cool, about 15
minutes.



To make the creme chiboust:





1) Using a whisk stir in one third of the meringue
italienne into the creme patisserie .





2) Fold the rest of the meringue italienne into the
creme patissiere with a spatula. Do not over mix
 it or the cream will loose all its lightness.

3) Spoon the cream into the cooled pastry
cases and decorated with fresh fruit.