Silky Vanilla Bean Tart (Printable View)
Crisp buttery crust filled with smooth vanilla bean cream
# What You Need:
→ Tart Crust
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 tablespoons ice water
→ Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
13 - Pinch of salt
→ Assembly
14 - Fresh berries or fruit
15 - Powdered sugar for dusting
# How-To Steps:
01 - Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and pulse again. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
03 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan. Press into pan and trim excess. Prick base with fork.
04 - Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden. Let cool completely.
05 - Heat milk and vanilla bean (seeds and pod) in medium saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove pod.
06 - Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until pale and smooth.
07 - Slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture while whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until smooth.
08 - Transfer pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
09 - Spread chilled pastry cream evenly into cooled tart shell. Top with fresh berries or fruit if desired. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between that shatteringly crisp crust and cream that feels like silk on your tongue is absolutely magical
- Vanilla beans might seem fancy, but they transform everything they touch into something extraordinary
02 -
- Room temperature butter in your dough will make it tough and shrink during baking, keep it ice cold
- Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the pastry cream prevents a skin from forming while it chills
03 -
- Brush the inside of your cooled crust with melted white chocolate before adding the cream to keep it crisp longer
- If you can't find vanilla beans, use pure vanilla bean paste for those signature black specks