Cake Dome Sunday #34: Summer Fruit Flan

What could be better than to celebrate the vibrant and juicy fruits of summer than in a Summer Fruit Flan?  Yesterday, the Mister and I went to a picnic and I was asked to bring a dessert.  At first I thought I'd bring a fruit bowl, but then decided that a fruit flan would be a nice variation of a fruit salad.  I wish I could show you a slice so you could see the inside, but every morsel was eaten at the picnic. 

 

The pastry crust is tender and buttery.  A thin layer of melted white chocolate is brushed on the crust before you add the pastry cream filling.  Any fruit will be delicious so use whatever you have available in any combination.  After you've assembled the flan and arranged the fruit, a thin layer of melted apple jelly is lightly brushed over the top to add the final glaze finish (and also helps to hold the fruit in place.

 

Summer Fruit Flan

Pastry:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Pastry cream:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Fruit:

• 4 cups seasonal summer fruits:  I used raspberries, pineapple, strawberries and blackberries (peaches, blueberries, kiwi, mango, thinly sliced apple, pear...any fruit would be delicious)
• Apple jelly for glaze

Directions:

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla.  Stir in the flour and salt until the dough comes together.  Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, until firm.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Knead the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to soften enough that it can be easily rolled.  Dust the pastry a little and roll it out to just over 11 inches in diameter and just under a 1/4 inch thick.  Line a 9 inch removable bottom fluted tart pan and trim the edges.  Chill the pastry for 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or 10 minutes in the freezer.
3. Dock the bottom of the pastry shell with a fork and bake it for 16 minutes, or until just the edges are golden brown and the center of the shell is dry looking.  Cool completely before filling.
4. Keep the baked tart shell in its pan.  Melt the white chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring until melted.  Brush the bottom and sides of the cooled tart and shell to coat and chill the shell while preparing the pastry cream.
5. Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan until just below a simmer.  Whisk the eggs, sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then pour this entire mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk.  Whisk the custard constantly over medium heat until it thickens and just begins to bubble (about 3 or 4 minutes).  Strain the custard into a bowl, stir in the vanilla and butter until melted and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap so that the wrap directly covers the surface of the custard.  Cool the custard to room temperature, then chill it for at least 2 hours.
6. To assemble the tart, spoon the custard into the tart shell and spread it evenly.  Top the custard with the fresh fruit, creating an appealing design.  Melt the apple jelly over low heat and then brush it over the fruit.  Chill the tart until you are ready to serve.

The tart can be stored chilled for up to a day.

Recipe source:  Anna Olson

Until next time,

 

Cheers!

 

 

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