Sweet Pastry Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold water
Pastry Cream:
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 pints raspberries, blueberries or strawberries or a combination of fruit
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
To prepare the pastry dough, place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse to combine. Add egg and water; pulse until dough forms a ball. Shape into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours to overnight. (The recipe says that it is not necessary to refrigerate but I put my dough in the fridge over night.)
Preheat the oven to 350F. On lightly floured surface, knead dough lightly to soften. Roll into a 12-inch circle; press on bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick with fork. Bake 15 minutes or until light golden. Cool on rack. (I do not have a tart pan so I used a springform pan instead. The edges didn't have the beautiful scalloping that you get from the tart pan but it worked perfectly fine in all other regards.)
To prepare the pastry cream, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Combine milk and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat. Whisk about one-third of the milk into egg mixture. Gradually whisk egg mixture into remaining milk in saucepan. Whisk and cook over low heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 20 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter. Pour into a bowl; press plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate until cold (I prepared the dough and the pastry cream the day before and let both sit in the fridge over night).
Stir pastry cream to lighten; spread in tart shell, cover with berries and sift confectioners’ sugar over top. The final product:
The verdict:
Nick and I both thought that the recipe turned out great. It was easy to make and had very simple flavorings that worked well together. As an added benefit it is only 200 calories per serving (not bad for a yummy dessert). I would rate it a solid A. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of a wow factor. I think I might try it again someday but add some rosewater to the custard and a sprig of mint for presentation. Or maybe I will try making a syrup to go over the raspberries just to add a little excitement. Still, this recipe is a great basic and with a little imagination has the potential to become amazing. I would very much like to thank relish magazine for sharing this recipe.
