What is better for a summer gathering than a fruit tart? Nothing really. This one happens to be slightly more complicated (and involves some prep work ahead of time, so make sure to plan ahead), but it is so delicious that it is definitely worth the extra work. The homemade cream is so amazing! And the best part is, you can decorate it with any kind of fruit and can get creative with your designs.

Recipe adapted from here and here.

Ingredients
Pastry Cream- (makes 3 cups, I recommend starting this the day before)
16 ounces whole milk (can do coconut milk if you need it to be dairy free)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch

Tart-
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold, cubed butter
1 egg yolk

Mascarpone cream-
2 cups vanilla pastry cream (recipe above)
8 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cream

Topping-
3-4 cups fruit (I did strawberries and blueberries, but you can do whatever)

1. Begin by making the pastry cream a day ahead. To do this, bring the milk and vanilla to boil in a large pot. Once it boils, turn off the heat and set it aside to steep for at least one hour or overnight in the fridge.

2. If you’re going to just steep it for an hour, start this next step now. Otherwise, if you’re going to do it overnight, you can start it the next morning. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks with the sugar and cornstarch.

3. Now put the milk back in a pot on the stove and bring it to a simmer. Add the egg mixture to the milk, and continuously whisk over medium heat until the mixture becomes quite thick. Once the mixture begins bubbling, continue for a full minute. Then remove from heat and pour the mixture into a bowl and tightly cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge until cool.

4. Once cool, place the mixture in a hand mixer and beat for two to three minutes until creamy (you will then use this pastry cream in step 7).

5. Now to begin the crust of the tart, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse several times. Add the yolk and pulse again until the dough clumps up.

6. Prepare your tart pan by buttering the bottom and rims. Press the dough into the pan. Freeze the shell for 30 minutes. While it is freezing, turn the oven to 375. After 30 mins, cover the crust with foil and bake the tart for  on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes until it turns light brown. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until it is a deep golden brown.

7. Now to prepare the mascarpone cream, mix the heavy cream in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Now mix the pastry cream (which you previously whipped by itself until creamy) with the mascarpone until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream and chill until ready to put in the crust.

8. Once the cream is ready and the tart shell is ready, you can assemble it. Spread the mascarpone cream in the shell (you may have extra, or just pile it all into the shell). Now decorate the top with fresh fruit. Serve immediately. If you don’t finish it, keep any leftovers in the fridge.