Fruit Tart

Ingredients for sweet pastry crust :
All purpose flour - 1 and 1/2 cup or 195 gms,
Butter - 1/2 cup or 113 gms - room temperature,
White sugar - 1/4 cup or 50 gms,
Egg - 1 - lightly beaten,
8 to 9 inch Tart pan.

Method :
 Take a bowl and sieve the flour .

Place the butter in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy .

Gradually add the beaten egg and beating until just incorporated..

Add the flour mixer all at once and mix just until it gathers together.
Make a ball and flatten it into a disk .

Cover with a plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Lightly grease the tart pan.( 9 inch tart pan )

Evenly pat the chilled pastry dough on to the tart pan, first the sides up and then the bottom.
Cover with a plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Pre heat oven to 205 C or 400 F.
The tart pan has to be placed in the center of the oven.
Take out the tart crust  from the fridge and lightly prick it with fork so that the dough does not rise.

Place tart pan on a larger tray and bake crust for 5 minutes .
Reduce oven temperature to 350 F or 180 C and continue to bake the crust for 15 minutes or until dry and lightly golden brown .

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely before filling .

Pastry cream :
Whole milk - 1 and 1/4 cup ( 300 ml ),
Vanilla essence - 1tsp,
Egg yolk - 3,
Sugar - 1/4 cup or 50 gms,
Cornstarch - 2 tbsp or 20 gms,
All purpose flour - 2 tbsp or 20 gms,
Brandy - 1/2 tbsp ( optional ),

Apricot glaze - 1/4 cup mix with 1/2 tbsp of water.
Heat apricot preserve with 2 tbsp of water in microwave for 20  to 30 seconds, then sieve through a strainer.You can heat the preserve in a saucepan too.
Keep it aside in a bowl to cool.

Fruits - kiwis,mango,pears and banana.

In a saucepan bring milk to boil in low heat ( just until milk starts to foam up).

In a medium size bowl, mix  egg yolk and sugar ( dont let the mixture sit for too long ).
Sift the flour and cornstarch and add it to the egg yolk mixture ,mixing until you get a smooth paste.

As milk starts to foam up remove from heat and slowly add  few tbsp of hot milk to the egg mixture ,whisking constantly to prevent curdling 
Gradually keep adding the hot milk till all is poured.
Transfer it back to the saucepan and put on low to medium heat.
Keep whisking constantly until it starts to boil ( low to medium heat ).
Whisk mixture constantly for  another 30 to 60 seconds until it becomes thick.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla essence.
Sieve it through a strainer so that there are no lumps and cover with a cling film .(
Let it come to room temperature and then put the bowl in the fridge to cool and set.

Assemble: ( you can make the tart and pastry a day before and keep in the fridge covered with a cling film.
The pastry cream can last for 3 days in the fridge.

Beat the pastry cream to  a smooth paste before you spread it on tart.
With a brush spread a layer of apricot glaze on the tart so that it does not leak .
Leave it for 20 minutes to dry .

Then spread the  beaten pastry cream .

Arrange the fruits .
Brush a light coat of  apricot glaze on the fruits. This will not make the fruits come direct in contact with air and keep it moist and give a shinny glaze .
This a lovely and tasty dessert .
You can decorate the tart with fruits of your choice.

Best eaten the day it is made.

The leftovers can be covered and kept in the fridge for 3 days .