Strawberry & Chocolate Fruit Tart

by Karen Ekstrom

Because we are BERRY big fruit fans.

(And we like chocolate too.)

By Mary Claire Ekstrom

Ingredients

For Pastry Cream:

2 cups half and half

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp. salt

5 large egg yolks

3 tbsp. cornstarch

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For Crust:

1 large egg yolk

1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

⅔ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cubed into ¼” cubes and chilled

For Glazed Fruit:

4 ½ Cups strawberries, halved and pitted

*⅓ cup Jelly*

For Chocolate Drizzle:

¼ cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

1 tsp. of butter

1 tbsp. half and half

*Any kind of jelly will do, but I used our Homemade Plum Jelly because it rocks*

Directions

For Pastry Cream:

In a medium saucepan, pour half and half, six tablespoons sugar, and salt. Put on medium heat and stir occasionally until simmering.

While you wait for the half and half mix to simmer, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons sugar.

Once half and half mix is simmering, turn off the heat, and pour one cup of the half and half mix in the egg yolk mix and whisk slowly to temper.

Turn heat to medium under saucepan.

Whisking saucepan furiously, pour tempered yolk mix into saucepan with the rest of the half and half mixture.

Constantly whisk until mixture has thickened to a warm pudding and a few bubbles surface.

Turn off heat. Plop in cubed butter. Add vanilla and whisk together until butter has melted and thoroughly been combined.

Pour mix into a clean bowl, and pull plastic wrap airtight around surface.

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Refrigerate for 3 hours, or until chilled and firm. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

For Crust:

In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla.

In a food processor, chop flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Dot with butter cubes. Pulse 10-15 times or until mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.

With processor churning, pour in egg mixture. Continue to run the processor until dough forms.

Shape the dough into a 6 inch disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap to keep it airtight.

Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for one month.

***

With a marker, draw a diagonal 11 inch line with a permanent marker.

Flip parchment paper and lightly flour.

Sprinkle dough with flour.

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Roll chilled dough out on the floured side of the parchment paper with a roller, and continue to roll the dough outward until it reaches a full 11 inches in diameter. Use the line as a guide.

Move the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and move rolled dough to the freezer for 15 minutes or until hard.

***

Grease a 9 inch pie pan with a removable bottom.

Take out the frozen sheet of dough, and roll onto a rolling-pin.

Unroll the dough on top of the greased pie pan.

Gently pinch the edges along the sides of the pan, smoothing out corners. Peel off excess dough and use it to cover holes or fold it over itself to make a little thicker crust.

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Once crust has been molded, move to freezer for 15 minutes.

***

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove crust from freezer and line the inside with greased foil.

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Bake 30 minutes.

Remove foil.

Bake 5 more minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then cover in plastic wrap and return crust to freezer.

For Final Touches (ie. Glazed Fruit and Chocolate Drizzle):

Spread pastry cream evenly in the bottom of chilled pie crust.

Line the strawberries up along the edges of the pie crust, on top of the pastry cream. Make sure the strawberries are balanced on the crust and not the dish.

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Try to use the biggest berries for the largest circle. Use smaller ones for the middle circle, and the smallest for the inner circle.

In a saucepan, whisk jelly on medium-low until completely melted and no longer lumpy, about 2 minutes.  With a pastry brush, paint a glossy coat of jelly on the strawberries. If there is still some remaining, fill any holes.

In the now empty saucepan, pour chocolate chips, butter, and half and half. Whisk until smooth.

Drizzle chocolate sauce over the top of the tart with a spatula or fork.

Refrigerate tart for 30 minutes or until chocolate has hardened.

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Serve and enjoy.

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