Yield: one 9-inch tart, 8-10 servings
Recipe: 4/200
“Back to Baking”, pp. 106
With my dad’s birthday coming up, I wanted to make him what I thought was one of his favorite desserts: the classic fruit flan! Personally, I never liked these tarts that I found to be highly unappealing due to the presence of custard, which I am not a fan of, as well as the goo present on the delicious fruits. Nonetheless, it was for my dad so I went ahead and made it for him. As I mentioned in my previous post, I encountered many problems with the making of the shell for this tart. I also had some mishaps with the rest of the tart. For starters, my white chocolate was not cooperating and would not melt. This is most likely due to the fact that I forgot to buy white chocolate and had to use white chocolate chips, which I now know are not ideal for melting purposes. In addition, not used to making custards, in hindsight I evidently made it way too thick. It was more like a paste consistency than a custard. Regardless, I assembled the tart with what I had. It was a lot of fun placing the fruits in a pretty pattern, and surprisingly it did not look as bad as I feared.
On a more positive note, my first fruit flan was a huge success. It all disappeared fairly quickly and I, disliking custard and fruit flans, actually had two pieces! The tart was very good, to say the least. Thankfully my dad really enjoyed it, even saying that it tasted better than store-bought ones. I think a thicker custard is what we all preferred in this fruit flan compared to the ones we usually buy in supermarkets. I also believe that knowing what the ingredients actually are in this recipe makes it easier for me to enjoy. For instance, the “goo” is actually apple jelly! Much more enticing than said goo. Great savory recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe Sweet-Crust Tart Shell, baked and cooled
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups assorted fresh and tender fruits (e.g. raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, etc.)
- ¼ cup apple jelly
Directions:
- Melt the white chocolate in a metal or glass bowl placed over a pot of simmering water and stir until melted. Alternatively, you can place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second intervals until completely melted, making sure to stir between each. With the baked and cooled tart shell still in its pan, brush the white chocolate to coat the bottom and sides of the tart shell. Chill in the fridge.
- Heat the milk in a saucepot until just below simmering. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then pour the entire mixture back into the pot of warm milk.
- Whisk the custard constantly over medium heat until it thickens and begins to bubble, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Strain the custard into a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract and butter until melted. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic touches the surface of the custard (this is to prevent the formation of a film on the custard). Cool the custard to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
- To assemble the tart, spoon the custard into the tart shell and spread evenly. Top the custard with your fruits of choice, favoring a design that is appealing. Melt the apple jelly over low heat, then brush it over the fruit. Chill the tart in the pan until ready to serve.
Notes from Anna:
- You can use any delicate fruits you wish, but keep in mind that some are more prone to oxidation, such as bananas, apples, apricots, peaches, pears and plums, meaning that they will turn brown. Since this is not very appealing on a tart, to diminish the oxidation it is preferable to toss these fruits in a little lemon juice prior to placing them on the tart.
Valerie
Valerie 