Buddy's Italian Fruit Tart
A Festive Red, White and Blue Dessert
I first had a version of this dessert—a fruit tart made with a butter dough, French cream, and fresh berries—at a New York City restaurant, and liked it so much that I decided I wanted to create our own version of it at Carlo's. It's a perfect summertime dessert because you can use whatever berries you have on hand; raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or a combination would all be right at home here.
In addition to the summertime, we make this during the holidays, when its elegance makes it just right for any gathering from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve.
Ingredients
Cooking Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one at a time, paddling until absorbed into the mixture. Add the zest, then add the water in a thin stream, letting it run down the side of the bowl.
Stop the motor and lower the bowl. Put the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder in a sifter and sift into the bowl. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, mix until the dough comes together.
Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Fit the dough to a 9-inch fluted tart pan. Dock it all over with the tines of a fork. Bake until the dough is lightly golden brown on top and bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the tart shell cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, fold together the custard cream and whipped cream to make French cream. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the French cream to the tart, smoothing the top. Artfully arrange the berries on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
The frutti di bosco should be served right away, but can be refrigerated, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for up to 1 day.
For the italian custard cream:
Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a bowl, whip together the sugar, flour, and egg yolks with a hand mixer. Ladle a cup of the milk-vanilla mixture into the bowl and beat to temper the
yolks. Add the yolk mixture to the pot and beat over medium heat with the hand mixer until thick and creamy, about 1 minute. As you are beating, move the pot on and off the flame so that you don't scramble the eggs.
Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, and whip for 2 minutes to thicken the cream. Transfer to a bowl. Let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Will keep for up to 1 week. To make chocolate custard cream, add 1½ ounces melted, cooled unsweetened chocolate along with the butter. For a richer chocolate flavor,
add a little more.
For the italian whipped cream:
Put the cream and sugar in a bowl and whip on high speed with a hand mixer. Do not overmix or you'll end up with butter. The cream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Whisk by hand to refresh before using.
This recipe was styled by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning America.
Recipe courtesy Buddy Valastro.
Recipe Summary
Main Ingredients: water, flour, butter, sugar, yolks
Course: Dessert
More Info: Kids Friendly
