FRUTTI DI BOSCO | ITALIAN FRUIT TART, RECIPE BY BUDDY VALASTRO

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makes one 9-inch tart

for crust:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup cold water
3 cups pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring your work surface
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

for assembling tart:
1 cup Italian Custard Cream
3/4 cup Italian Whipped Cream
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
powdered (10X) sugar, for serving

for Italian custard cream:
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cake flour, sifted
5 extra-large egg yolks
2 teaspoons salted butter

for Italian whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Prepare tart crust dough.  Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the eggs, one at a time, paddling until absorbed into the mixture.  Add the zest, and then add the water in a thin stream, letting it run down the side of the bowl.

Stop the motor and lower the bowl.  Put the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder in a sifter and sift into the bowl. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, mix until the dough comes together.

Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch.  Fit the dough to a 9-inch fluted tart pan.  Dock it all over with the tines of a fork.  Bake until the dough is lightly golden brown on top and bottom, 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and let the tart shell cool completely.

Prepare Italian custard cream.  Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  In a bowl, whip together the sugar, flour, and egg yolks with a hand mixer. Ladle a cup of the milk-vanilla mixture into the bowl and beat to temper the yolks.  Add the yolk mixture to the pot and beat over medium heat with the hand mixer until thick and creamy, about 1 minute.  As you are beating, move the pot on and off the flame so that you don’t scramble the eggs.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, and whip for two minutes to thicken the cream.  Transfer to a bowl.  Let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to one week.

Prepare Italian whipped cream.  Put the cream and sugar in a bowl and whip on high speed with a hand mixer; do not overmix.  The cream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Whisk by hand to refresh before using.

Assemble tart.  In a mixing bowl, fold together the custard cream and whipped cream to make French cream.  Use a rubber spatula to transfer the French cream to the tart, smoothing the top.  Artfully arrange the berries on top. Dust with powdered sugar.

The frutti di bosco should be served right away, but can be refrigerated, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for up to 1 day.

recipe courtesy of Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss and Carlo’s Bakery in New Jersey; via abcNEWS