Mixed Fruit Tart with Macadamia Nuts
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Ingredients For Tart Shell:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Ingredients For Custard Filling:
1c milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts, lightly roasted
Ingredients For Fresh Fruit Topping & Glaze:
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts, lightly roasted
1 medium carton fresh strawberries, sliced with few whole reserved
4 nectarines, sliced
2 peeled, sliced kiwis
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 apricot preserves
Tart Shell Preparation:
Sift the flour onto a clean, smooth work surface and make a well in the center. Use the fingertips of one hand to mix the remaining ingredients together in the well, and use a flexible pastry scraper in the other hand to mix the flour in with the other ingredients.
When the dough starts to gather together into crumbs, use your fingers to press the crumbs firmly together to form a ball of dough. With the heel of your hand and the pastry scraper, keep flattening the dough out and blending it back into a ball until it becomes smooth and feels velvety. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a round about 1/8-inch thick. Use more flour if the dough sticks. Working quickly, place the dough in a 10-inch tart pan by rolling it onto your rolling pin and unrolling it over the pan.
Tuck the dough into the corners of the pan. Remove excess dough from the pan rim by rolling the pin over the top of the pan. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 F.
Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork to allow steam to escape as the shell bakes. Place a round of parchment paper over the dough, and pour ceramic pie weights or similar, on the paper to keep the bottom of the crust from puffing up. Bake for 15 minutes, and then cool to room temperature.
Custard Filling Preparation:
Bring the milk and vanilla to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Beat egg yolks with sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale. Beat in flour and cornstarch. Whisk the hot milk into the eggs vigorously. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Add in toasted macadamia nuts. Whisk constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Just before it comes to a boil it will become lumpy. Whisk until smooth, lower heat, and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap over the top to prevent a skin from forming, and chill.
When cooled, use a rubber spatula to force the cream through a metal sieve, or beat it very well with a whisk to loosen the mixture. Fold in whipped cream.
Fresh Fruit Topping & Glaze Preparation:
Assembling the Tart: Remove the parchment and pie weights from the shell. Use a spatula to spread a layer of pastry cream in the bottom of the shell, about 1/3-inch thick. Arrange the sliced and peeled fruits over the top. Melt the apricot jam in a microwave oven, or melt in a small saucepan over low heat.
Brush tart with the melted apricot jam to create a glaze. Chill the tart briefly. Serve.
