(for the pastry)

2 eggs plus 1 yolk

8.9 oz. all purpose flour

3.5 oz. pistachio flour

4.4 oz. butter, cold

4.4 oz. sugar

(for the almond cream)

1/2 cup plus 2 1/4 t butter

5/8 cup superfine sugar

1 1/4 cups ground almonds

3 T all purpose flour

1 1/2 eggs

1 T rum

(for the custard cream)

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean

1  1/2 egg yolks

2  1/2 T superfine sugar

1  1/2 T all purpose flour

(for the glaze)

2/3 cup apricot jam

1 T water

(for the topping)

2 pints raspberries

1/2 cup ground pistachios

[how to make]

(for the pastry)

*Mix all the ingredients of the pastry, and rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably several, or, better still, overnight.

*Lightly grease three 12-hole tartlet pans or a 7 3/4" square pan.

*Flour your work surface and roll out the pastry 1/8" thick for tartlets or 3/16" thick for a large tart.

*Use it to line your pan, then put into the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.

(for the almond cream)

*Beat the butter until very soft, preferably in a stand mixer.

*With the motor running, add the sugar and ground almonds and mix some more.

*Now mix in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the rum.

*Transfer to a small bowl and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

(for the custard cream)

*Put the milk into a heavy based saucepan.

*Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean along its length, scrape the seeds into the milk, then put the halved in too.

*Put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk until pale and creamy.

*Add the flour and mix until smooth.

*Put the pan of milk over medium heat, bring to just under a boil, then slowly pour half of it into the egg mixture, whisking well as you do so.

*Add the remainder of the milk and whisk again, then pour the mixture back into the pan.

*Bring to a boil, whisking all the time, then keep boiling and whisking continuously for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

*Pour the mixture into a clean bowl and scoop out the vanilla pods.

*Cover the surface of the bowl with parchment paper straightaway to prevent a skin forming.

*Allow to cool, then store int eh refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

(baking)

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

*Mix the almond cream and custard cream together in a bowl.

*Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the pastry crusts to the top with mixture.

*Bake the tartlets for 15-20 minutes and the large tart for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

*Leave to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before lifting out and cooling on a rack.

(for the glaze)

*Put the jam into a saucepan with the water and bring to just under a simmer. (Do not let the mixture boil or the jam will become gooey to spread properly.)

*Press the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pulp.

*Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the top of the tartlets or tart.

(for the topping)

*Sprinkle the tops with the ground pistachios.

*Place a row of raspberries down the middle and lightly glaze again.

-makes 36 tartlets or 1 large tart-

Note: I found this recipe in "Pastry" by Richard Bertinet.

Labels: tart recipe, tartlet recipe