Three-berry Tart with Vanilla Cream
Too much of a good thing is never enough when berries are in season. Chef Emeril Lagasse combines berries and puff pastry to make a contemporary deep-dish berry tart.
Ingredients
- Tart
- Puff Pastry - 1 thawed frozen sheet
- Butter - 2 tablespoons, at room temperature
- Sugar - 2 teaspoons
- Nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon, ground
- Blackberries - 1-1/4 cups, fresh
- Blueberries - 1-1/2 cups, fresh
- Strawberries - 2 cups, hulled and halved
- Unsweetened Cocoa - Powdered and sifted confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- Vanilla Cream (recipe follows)
- Mint - Fresh sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Press puff pastry into an 8-inch tart pan with a removeable bottom; trim off excess. Prick the pastry on the sides and bottom with a fork. Spread 1 tablespoon of the butter over the pastry. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Arrange the berries on the tat. Dot the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter onto the berries. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let the tart cool slightly on a wire rack, then remove from the pan.
To serve: Cut into wedges and serve while still warm. Sprinkle the rim of each dessert plate with cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar. Ladle vanilla cream over the tart and garnish with fresh mint.
Vanilla Cream
Makes about 2 cups
Place the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture, then drop in the pods. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the Grand Marnier and egg yolks, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Serve hot.
