Desserts
Fresh Summer Berry Tart
A buttery shortbread shell, silky vanilla custard, and a jewel-box of summer berries.
Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash
This is the tart to bring to a long summer table. It looks like a pastry-school project, but the press-in shortbread shell keeps the process friendly.
Ingredients
The custard is classic pastry cream, chilled until spoonable and silky. Pile the berries generously and unevenly. Perfection reads as effort; a little wildness reads as summer.
Make ahead
Bake the shell and cook the custard the day before. Assemble close to serving so the fruit stays glossy and the crust keeps its snap.
How to make it
- 1
Pulse flour, butter, and powdered sugar until sandy, then press into a 9-inch tart pan.
- 2
Bake at 350 F until deeply golden. Cool completely.
- 3
Whisk yolks with sugar and cornstarch. Temper with warm milk, then cook until thick.
- 4
Stir in vanilla and chill the custard.
- 5
Spread cooled custard into the shell and pile berries generously on top.
Serving notes
Serve with a torn heel of good bread, a green salad sharp with lemon, and a glass of something cold. Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of pasta water.
Reviews
What cooks are saying
Reader notes
Made this on a Tuesday and my whole family went quiet at the table. The highest compliment.
Really lovely. I added a pinch of chili flakes for heat and it worked beautifully.
The instructions were clear and the timing was accurate.
This tasted like something from a little neighborhood trattoria. Simple, cozy, and very repeatable.
I appreciated the exact visual cues. Mine came out right on the first try.
