Memorial Day!

And all the trees finally have leaves and the flowers are blooming. The pool will shortly be opened - complete with new deck (thanks, Bob!), and local markets are starting to show their wares! Hurray for spring!

We've had a great Memorial Day weekend - glorious sunny, warm days! And a great excuse for Robear the Baker to indulge in a spectacular Red, White & Blue Fruit Tart!

Rob's recipes for making this tart are as follows:

Pâte Brisée Sucrée (Shortbread Tart Dough)

1 cup (3½ ozs.) sifted all-purpose flour

1 Tb granulated sugar

1/8 tsp salt

5½ Tb fat: 4 Tb chilled butter & 1½ Tb chilled shortening

2½Tb-3Tb cold water

Put the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, along with the chilled shortening, and pulse until the mixture is a coarse texture. Add the water and pulse briefly - about 30 seconds, to incorporate into the dough.

Turn out the dough onto your lightly floured counter or workspace, form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour before using.

To form crrust, first pat dough flat, using rolling pin, or your lightly floured hand. Roll out on a lightly floured board and roll out, starting from the center out toward the edges of the dough. Roll in one direction only! Lift the rolling pin for each new pass across the dough. Don't roll out to the very edge, or the edges will be cumbly and too thin. Dough should extend about 3-4 inches beyond the edge of your pie plate or tart pan (you should have a 12 inch circle for a 9 inch pan, 13-14 inches for a 10 inch). Once you've reached the appropriate size for your tart pan, gently lift the dough, rolling one edge of the dough onto a very lightly floured rolling pin and using the rolling pin to roll it up and place it in the pan. Press the dough into the pan, and form a fluted edge by pinching the dough all around the edge. Use a fork to pierce the dough in the bottom of the pan so steam can escapte.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

To bake the pie crust "blind," first put a large piece of aluminum foil into the pie plate on top of the tart dough, then add baking stones, beans, or other suitable weight to hold the dough in place. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lghtly browned. Remove from oven, and carefully lift off aluminum foil and baking stones.

Cool on a wire rack.

For the filling: Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream)

1 cup sugar

5 large egg yolks (or 2 large yolks & 2 large whole eggs)

2/3 cup sifted flour

2 cups boiling milk

1 TB butter

While milk is heating, beat eggs/yolks with sugar until they turn a pale yellow. Beat in flour. When milk boils, beat about 1/3 of it into egg/sugar/ flour mixture, then half of remaining milk, then pour everything back into the milk pan and stir vigorously over medium heat until the pastry cream thickens and begins to boil in slow, thick bubbles. Remove from heat, stir in 1 TB butter & your choice of flavorings (see below).

Flavorings

1½ Tb vanilla

OR

2 tsp vanilla &:

2-3 Tb rum, kirsch, cognac, orange liqueur or instant coffee

OR

3 ozs./squares semisweet baking chocolate melted with 2Tb rum or coffee

OR

½ cup pulverized almonds or pulverized macaroons, ¼ tsp almond extract

Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate.

To assemble:

Once the tart shell and crème patissière have cooled, fill the tart shell with the pastry cream, and spread it out evenly across the shell. Arrange fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc), as desired on top of pastry creme.

Glaze: Heat a couple of table spoons of apple jelly, or apricot jelly in a double boiler or small saucepan until liquid. Use a pastry brush to glaze the tart, giving it a bright sheen. Let the glaze cool before cutting into slices.