Berry Crème Fraiche Tart

Cook Time 35 minutes (+ refrigeration time)

Servings 8-10

Ingredients

Linzer Pastry
250g Unsalted Butter
2 Vanilla Beans, cut and scraped
188g Caster Sugar
3 Whole Eggs
3g Ground Cinnamon
3g Ground Cardamom
112g Ground Hazelnuts
4.5g Salt
11g Baking Powder
490g Plain Flour

Fresh Berries
130g Raspberries
100g Strawberries, diced
50g Blueberries

Crème Fraiche Filling
Custard
175g Milk
38g Unsalted Butter
3g Lemon Zest
1 Vanilla Bean, cut and scraped
50g Caster Sugar
38g Custard Powder
175g Crème Fraiche

Meringue
88g Egg Whites (room temp)
2g Cream of Tartar
60g Caster Sugar
Icing Sugar for dusting
Fresh Raspberries to serve

Method

Combine the butter, cut and scraped vanilla beans and sugar in an electric mixer. Mix until the butter is incorporated. Slowly add the eggs and then the remaining dry ingredients. Press the pastry into a square shape and wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for an hour. Roll out the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line a 16cm square tart form. Put the pastry shell in the fridge for a further 10 minutes, then blind bake at 170°C for 10-12 minutes.

Place all the berries into a bowl and mix together. Place into the base of the blind baked tart. Cover with crème fraiche filling and place in the fridge.

Boil milk in a saucepan with the butter, lemon zest and cut and scraped vanilla bean. Combine the caster sugar and custard powder and then add the crème fraiche. Pour the boiled milk onto the custard mixture then place it back on the heat until it reaches 80°C.

In an electric mixer whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar and gradually add the caster sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped whites through the custard mixture. Pipe into the prepared tart shells on top of the mixed berries.

Refrigerate the tarts for 3 hours before baking at 170°C for 25 minutes.

Garnish with dusted icing sugar and fresh raspberries.