FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Start by making the cream filling, you need this chilled to finish your tarts.
• Bring milk to just under a boil, in a heavy bottomed pan. Meanwhile mix egg yolks and sugar together in a heat proof bowl until it resembles a paste.
• Sift flour and cornstarch into eggs. Stir into eggs, the eggs will be like a thick. Paste. Stir out any lumps.
• add a small stream of the scalded milk to eggs,being careful not to add too much, as the eggs will cook and curdle.
• once the egg mixture is tempered, put the eggs/milk mixture into the pan with the rest of the milk, on medium heat. Stir or whisk constantly. The flour and starch will quickly thicken the creme. Do not stop stirring. Make sure you leave the creme to come to a boil, and big bubbles come to the top. Boil for at least 2 minutes, otherwise your creme will taste like flour, and will thin after cooling.
• Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and brandy or other liqueur.
• Put into clean container and cover surface with plastic wrap so that a skin does not form.
• chill.
• Whisk again, or beat with an immersion blender just before assembling your tarts.
• Make pastry dough.
• I use a mixer.
• Beat butter until soft.
• add sugar, beat till light and fluffy.
• Add 1 egg, slightly beaten, mix until just incorporated.
• Whisk salt into flour.
• add flour and salt to mixer all at once and continue to mix on low speed until the mixture forms a ball.
• Divide dough into 6 equal size balls. Press each ball into about a 5 inch disk. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• wit your fingers press the disk into the tart pans, going up the sides. The dough should come up and over the sides, trim excess with a knife. The crust will be about a quarter of an inch, make sure there us no space between the bottom and sides. Repeat for all 6.The
• prick the bottoms with a fork.
• Cover and put in freezer for 30 minutes.
• Bake on a cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for 17 minutes. They should be golden brown. Let cool.
• For glaze.
• heat apricot preserves in microwave until bubbly. Use a strainer and a spoon to make sure you remove any chunks from preserve.
• Glaze empty tart shells with apricot jelly.
• For topping.
• Slice kiwi fruit, arrange clean berries by type.
• Assembly.
• Remove tarts from pans and put on serving plates.
• Whisk creme. Fill each tart shell with creme, top with fruit, glaze fruit with pastry brush.
• Cover till ready to serve. Can be made hours ahead and kept in cool or refrigerator.