Must-try raspberry and strawberry tart

I am very proud of this dessert I made on Sunday: the pastry was crunch, the filling creamy and thick, and the fruit at the right ripeness. It was my first 'creme patissiere' and it was very successful. I made the tart half with raspberries, the other half with strawberries, it was like having made 2 cakes! Both were delicious, but the strawberry side had something extra to it as the cream tasted of strawberry the following day.

I do not advise to make this tart the day before though: despite the irresistible strawberry taste of the cream, the pastry will not be as crunchy, and will get somewhat moist/soggy after a few days. I should not worry too much though, the tart is likely to be eaten before then!


For the pastry case:

180g plain flour
80g butter (I use olive-based margerine)
2-3 TBSP caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 TBSP maple syrup
2-3 TBSP cold water

1. Mix the butter and flour with your fingertips until it ressembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sugar, egg yolk and maple syrup and knead thoroughly. Add the water one spoon at a time and keep kneading until you obtain a very smooth pastry. You may not require all the water.
3. Roll out onto a greased dish, prick with a fork and bake blind for 15 min with baking beans in a 180C pre-heated oven. Remove the beans an bake for another 5-10 minutes until the pastry is completely cooked.
4. Leave to cool down completely.


For the creme patissiere:

4 eggs
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
25g plain flour
25g corn flour
500g milk (I used semi-skimmed)
1 shotglass of dark rum (you can also use Cointreau, Brandy, or a fruit-flavoured schnapps)

1. Using a blender, mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the flours and milk. Blend well.
2. Pour into a big saucepan and heat on medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk (or a wooden spoon if using a non-stick pan), until the mixture becomes very thick.
3. Mix in the rum and leave to cool down, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the cream is completely cold, spread into the pastry case.


For the fruit topping:

Use the fruit of your choice. I used for this tart 2 punnets of raspberries and half a punnet of strawberries. Wash and don't forget to pat-dry the fruit, or the cream and pastry may become soggy.
Arrange the fruit on the tart.