Who does not enjoy a nice and sweet slice of fruit tart, especially a fresh raspberry custard tart? Fruit tarts are easy and tasty (even more tasty if they are made from scratch), and they remind us of our childhood.
Sweet tarts are a Madeleine de Proust for so many. The expression ”Madeleine de Proust” is found in Marcel Proust’s French novel Du côté de chez Swann, or Swann’s Way, published in 1913. It is an expression used to describe smells, tastes, sounds, or any sensations reminding you of your childhood, or simply bringing back emotional memories from the past.
Speaking of memories, I remember vividly my mother and grandmother making fruit tarts and using seasonal fruits. Living in Western France, we would eat sweet tarts all year round. My grandmother grew rhubarb in her garden and she would make me wonderful rhubarb tarts and jams in the spring and summer. We would also eat a lot of raspberry, strawberry, apricot, and mirabelle plums tarts. When fall and winter arrived, she would make pear and apple tarts. What a treat!
Like my grandmother, I love to cook with seasonal products. Now that I live in Florida, I can use all kinds of wonderful tropical and exotic fruits that France doesn’t have. But for this recipe, I chose to work with raspberries because they were in season. Although they are very common worldwide, they are so juicy and sweet this year that it would be a shame not to take advantage of them.
The custard between the crust and the fruit adds a nice and creamy texture. My father in law said that eating the tart felt like a sweet, soft, and crunchy little cloud. Making vanilla custard is extremely easy and everyone can become a custard master!
If you make this tart, or any of my other tart recipes, take a picture and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see yours! Also, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think about the raspberry custard tart!
Bon appétit!
MAKE THE CRUST: 1. Add the flour and sugar into a large bowl and mix. Add the melted butter and mix well. It may look a little "crumbly." Add the water, egg yolks, and salt and mix thoroughly. Feel free to use your hands to make a nice ball of dough. 2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour. After 30 minutes to an hour, remove the dough from the fridge, spread it in a tart mold, and bake for 15 minutes at 355°F. Remove and cool. 3. Take a fork and gently poke the bottom of the pan, perforating the dough randomly. Set foil or parchment paper on top of the dough, then place ceramic pie weights (baking beans) on top of the crust, and prebake the crust in the oven for around 15 minutes at 355 degrees. MAKE THE CUSTARD: 1. Mix the egg yolks with the sugar. Whisk well. Add the flour (or cornstarch) to the eggs and sugar mixture and mix thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup of milk to thin. 2. Heat the remaining milk on the stove on medium. When the milk is warm (after 3-4 min), add the eggs/flour/sugar/milk mixture and the split and scraped vanilla bean. Whisk until boiling. When it boils, your custard should already be thick and creamy. 3. Spread the custard thoroughly over the crust and top with raspberries (or any kind of fruits you like). Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bon appétit!
Ingredients
Instructions