Everything You Have to Know to Make Delicious Tarts

Pate Brisee Dough

• Whisk sugar, salt, and 1⅓ cups flour in a medium bowl. Cut butter into 6 rectangular pieces (if using ½-cup sticks, cut them in half crosswise, then in half again lengthwise). Toss butter in dry ingredients to coat, then dump mixture out onto a work surface. Most recipes start by pulverizing fat into small bits, but here you’ll use a rolling pin to flatten flour-coated butter into sheets that will puff into layers when baked.
• Roll butter into flour until it is in long flexible strips, using a bench scraper to scrape butter off rolling pin or surface as needed.
• Use bench scraper to gather mixture into a loose pile, then drizzle 4 Tbsp. ice water over.
• Using your hands and the bench scraper, toss mixture until water is distributed, then gather into a rectangular pile.
• Roll out dough to a long rectangle with short ends about 8″ wide, then use bench scraper to fold dough into thirds, like folding a letter. It will be very crumbly and loose; don’t panic. This turns the floury mass into a cohesive unit while creating flaky-making stacks of fat and flour.
• Using bench scraper to help, turn rectangle 90° and repeat rolling and folding, gathering loose bits of dough from outer edges into the center and flouring surface as needed.
• Repeat rolling and folding a third time. Dough should be somewhat homogenous and creamy-looking with some dry bits around edges. Squeeze a bit in your palm; it should loosely hold together. If not, repeat rolling and folding.
• Wrap folded dough in plastic, then press it into a compact disk about 1″ thick. Chill 30 minutes.
• Divide dough into fourths. Roll out each one on a lightly floured surface to a 6" round about ⅛" thick (don’t worry about cracks around perimeter). Dust surface and rolling pin with flour as needed and rotate dough often to prevent wider cracks. If dough sticks to surface, lift on one side and scatter flour underneath before continuing. Roll dough onto your pin, then unfurl it on a sheet of parchment paper. Slide onto a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate while you prep the filling.
• Do Ahead: Dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled, or transfer to a resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.

Filling and Assembly

• Preheat oven to 400°F/ convection oven: 375*F
• Combine cornstarch, lime zest, salt, and ⅓ cup sugar in a medium bowl. Toss with your hands to combine, then add fruit and toss to coat. Add lime juice, vanilla, and ginger (if using); toss gently.
• Arrange fruit mixture in the center of chilled dough (still on parchment on baking sheet) and spread out evenly, leaving a 3″ border. Fold edges of dough up and over fruit, pleating as needed and being careful that folded edge of dough doesn’t tear (if it does, patch with dough scraps and pinch to seal). Pour cream into a small bowl and brush all over dough. Sprinkle sugar evenly over dough.
• Place galette in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375°. Bake, rotating halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown everywhere, fruit is softened, and juices are bubbling, 45–50 minutes. Let galette cool 2 hours before serving.
• Serve galette with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Make the Crust

• Add the cubed butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about 2 minutes or until it’s homogeneous.
• Add the egg yolks and mixed until combined.
• Add the flour and mix until shaggy, about 45 seconds.
• DIVIDE into 2-3 equal pieces and press each into a flat disk. Roll out to a thickness of 3mm, 1/8 inch, in between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper. Chill for at least an hour.
• Peel off the layers of paper and cut your tart bottoms out. Cut a strip for the side. Place the strip for the side in your tart ring. Press the side into the ring and trim the excess.Trim the top so it’s flush to the ring.
• Freeze tarts for at least half an hour. Bake at 320F for about 12-15 minutes or until just golden. If you’re using a traditional tart mold you can just cut the rounds out and press into the form.

Make the Pastry Cream

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated.
• Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
• Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Chill custard at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Assemble

• Heat 1/2 cup of apricot preserves and 2 tbsp water in a bowl. Mix together and strain.
• Whip up your chilled pastry cream until it's smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and fill each cooled tart shell.
• Place your fruit in the tart. Try and make a fun grouping with lots of colors. Brush the fruit with the apricot jam mixture. This will help preserve the fruit and give it a beautiful glossy shine.

Make the Curd:

• In a medium bowl, rub together the sugar and lemon zest with the palms of your hands until fragrant. Set aside.
• Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the lemon juice into a medium nonreactive saucepan.
• Set the strainer in a medium heatproof bowl next to the stove.
• In the saucepan, add the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar mixture, and whisk to combine. Add the butter, and set the pan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly all over the bottom of the pan and into the edges, until the butter is melted and the mixture is thickened slightly, 3–5 minutes.
• At the very first sign of a boil, quickly remove the pot from the heat and strain the lemon mixture into the prepared bowl. Reserve.
• Bake shells at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
• Fill with curd and chill for at least 30 minutes

Make the meringue:

• In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium speed for 1 minute.
• Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium-high, and mix for 1 minute. With the motor running, gradually add the sugar in small (1–2 teaspoon) increments. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating the egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks have formed.
• Carefully unmold the tarts. Place a generous dollop of meringue in the center of each.
• Caramelize the meringue with a kitchen torch if desired.
• Serve immediately.

• In a bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with bits of butter no larger than peas. (Alternatively, you can process the mixture on pulse mode in a food processor.)
• Add the egg yolks and continue blending with the pastry cutter (or pulse in the processor) until the eggs are evenly incorporated and the mixture resembles a fine meal.
• Stir in the ice water with a fork, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is just moistened enough to gather and mold into a smooth ball. (Or, with the food processor running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time just until the mixture forms a dough.)
• Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a smooth disc. Wrap with plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you prefer.
• Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit in the tart pan. Lift and turn the dough as you work, keeping the work surface dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
• Lay the dough in the tart pan and press it firmly against the sides and bottom without stretching it.
• Trim off any excess dough.
• Cover and chill the dough in the pan for at least 30 minutes before filling and baking.
• To pre-bake the empty tart shell, prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover lightly with foil and bake at 375 F / 190 C for 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil, and continue baking until barely colored for a partially baked shell or golden brown for a fully baked shell.

• Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in medium bowl. Add butter and shortening; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons cold water. Work mixture with fingertips until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 10-inch round. Carefully transfer dough to 8-inch springform pan. Press dough onto bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan, pressing to adhere to sides. Fold down and roll 1/2 inch of dough sides inward, forming double-thick edge at top of crust sides. Using dull edge of small knife, make small indentations at 1/2-inch intervals on double-thick edge. Chill 20 minutes.
• Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides of crust are set, about 18 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Pierce bottom of crust all over with fork. Continue to bake until bottom is set and pale golden, about 14 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack.