Mixed Berry Tart Recipe | The Recipe Critic

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A buttery, flaky homemade crust, vanilla bean custard filling, and juicy berries make this berry tart the ultimate summer dessert! It’s a beautiful and delicious way to showcase all the best fruit this season has to offer!

Tarts are all the best things about dessert combined. They’re creamy and fruity inside a delicious buttery crust! You’ll have to try lemon, strawberry, and cranberry tarts next!

Mixed Berry Tart Recipe

As the weather has been heating up, I’ve been gravitating towards bright and fruity desserts. I’ve posted a few fruit tart recipes on the blog so far (this apple tart is one of my all-time favorite desserts!) but there’s something about this mixed berry tart that I just can’t get enough of! The golden, flaky crust, melt-in-your-mouth vanilla cream filling, and plump, fresh berries create a dessert your tastebuds will go crazy over. It’s the perfect, colorful centerpiece for any summer get-together!

I used a classic blend of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries for this recipe. The great thing is, you can make this tart with whatever fruit is in season and it will taste just as delicious! Feel free to mix and match the toppings! Don’t worry about the fruit being too tart- it gets sealed in with an apricot jam glaze for the perfect bit of added sweetness and luster. Without further ado, let’s jump into how you can recreate this beautiful, fruity dessert at home!

Berry Tart Shell and Filling Ingredients

Don’t let the long list of ingredients fool you. This berry tart uses plenty of basic ingredients! You’ll probably be able to find most of them in your kitchen right now! Since we’re showcasing fruit here, be sure your berries are fresh and ripe! That’s the key to making the most delicious fruit tart possible.

Crust:

• Flour: For a light and flaky crust, all-purpose flour works great!
• Granulated Sugar: Added to make your homemade crust nice and sweet.
• Salt: A pinch of salt will keep your crust from tasting bland.
• Unsalted Butter: Make sure the butter you use is cold! Lower temperatures = a flakier crust. See more on this in the tips section below!
• Egg Yolk: Used to bind ingredients together and help your crust take shape.
• Cold Water: Add as needed to adjust the consistency of your dough.

Filling:

• Whole Milk: Creates a smooth consistency and adds fat content for a rich and creamy custard.
• Vanilla Bean Pod: Using fresh vanilla is a must for the best flavor!
• Granulated Sugar: Added to sweeten up the custard filling.
• Salt: A pinch will enhance the overall flavor of your tart filling.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch gives your custard a nice, thick consistency and helps prevent curdling.
• Egg Yolks: Act as a thickener and make the texture of the tart filling nice and smooth.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds a creamy, rich flavor to the custard.
• Berries: I used a mix of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
• Apricot Jam: Acts as a sweet and shiny glaze on top!

How to Make a Berry Tart

Making the perfect fruit tart takes a bit of patience but it’s so worth it! Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for your berry tart to chill. It looks so irresistible, it’s hard to keep myself from snagging a slice.

Start With the Perfect Crust

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt together. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture and continue to cut it in until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs.
2. Add Egg Yolks, Shape Dough: Next, add in the egg yolk and mix as best you can with a fork before adding 2 tablespoons of the chilled water. Knead the dough together gently, adding more water if necessary to bring the dough together in a ball.
3. Chill Dough, Preheat Oven: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 375° while it chills.
4. Roll and Shape: Once chilled, roll the dough out into a ⅛ inch thick circle. If the dough is cracking as you roll, give it a few minutes to warm up slightly before trying again. To transfer it to the tart pan, roll the pastry up on your rolling pin and unroll it over the tart pan.
5. Add to Pan: Press the bottom and sides into the pan. Trim the excess dough by rolling the rolling pin over the top of the tart pan. Prick the bottom of the pan a few times with a fork and lay a good-sized piece of parchment in the center of the crust. Add pie weights, uncooked beans, or uncooked rice to the center to weigh down the parchment.
6. Bake Crust: Bake for 15 minutes, remove the parchment and weights from the crust and then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely.

Making the Vanilla Custard Filling

• Remove Vanilla Beans: Use the blunt side of a paring knife to remove the seeds from the vanilla pod.
• Mix Milk and Vanilla: Add the milk and vanilla beans to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the edges of the milk begin to bubble, but not boil.
• Prepare Sugar and Egg Yolk Mixture: While the milk heats, whisk together the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. As soon as the milk starts simmering, remove it from the heat and slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
• Whisk and Thicken: Add the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken. Lower the heat to low and continue to whisk for 3-4 minutes as the mixture continues to thicken and starts to bubble.
• Add in Butter: Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until it is completely absorbed. Pour the custard into the cooled crust. Immediately cover the hot custard with plastic wrap, being sure the plastic wrap touches the entire surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Chill: Place in the fridge and cool for 4 hours, or overnight.
• Add Berries and Apricot Glaze: Top with fresh berries as desired being sure to cover the whole top of the custard. In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of apricot jam mix with 1 teaspoon of water and heat in the microwave for 10 seconds. Mix again before using a pastry brush to brush the glaze across the top of the berries.