Those Italians Sure Know How To Make Pastries… Just Look At How Decadent These Look!

This is one of those desserts that will be gone in a fraction of the time it took to actually create it. But, like I said, if your family enjoys it, you did your duty! Here's everything you need to know in order to create this sweet and tangy treat:

Ingredients To Gather:

Crema pasticcera (pastry cream / Crème Pâtissière)

The peel from 1 lemon (if you prefer, seeds scraped from half vanilla bean or 1 teaspoons vanilla extract)

1 liter (4 cups) milk

8 egg yolks

200 gr. (1 cup) granulated sugar

80 gr. (2/3 cup) flour or cornstarch, sifted > you can use a bit more (100 gr.) if you want it thicker

Pasta frolla dolce (pastry dough)

250 gr. (2.5 cups) flour (all purpose or 00)

100 gr. (3/4 cup) of confectioners’ (powder) sugar

100 gr. (7 Tbsp.) butter, cold, diced

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

To assemble

4 cups berries (I used blackberries and strawberries), rinsed, dried

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions To Follow:

For the crema (pastry cream): In a small saucepan combine the milk and lemon peel (or the vanilla bean seeds). Scald the milk (heat just below the boiling point). In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk. Stir in the flour (or cornstarch). Pour about one third of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper (which means to avoid curdling), whisking continuously. Whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk, and place the saucepan back on the heat. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture comes barely to a boil. Remove the lemon peel and remove the cream from the heat. Chill completely, covered in plastic wrap until ready to assemble the tart.

For the pasta frolla (dough): create a mound of flour, salt and sugar on a work surface. Make a small well in the center and add the cubed pieces of butter. Working very quickly, rub the butter and dry ingredients together with your fingers until the butter has broken into tiny crumbles. Make a small well in the center of the mixture and add the eggs. Combine with your hands, working quickly. Do not knead the dough too long. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten gently into two balls, wrap to cover, place in refrigerator and for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove the dough from refrigerator, unwrap and place on a flat work surface lightly floured. Roll out with a rolling pin until thin, transfer to a lightly greased tart tin (I use waved edges and removable bottom, rectangular or round), gently press the dough against the sides, trim off excess dough with your fingers. Blind bake: prick the bottom with a fork. Line the dough with parchment paper, top with pie weights (beans or rice work), bake for 20-25 minutes with weights and then remove them to bake for the last 15 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely before assembling.

To assemble: spoon the pastry cream and smooth it inside each tart shell and decorate with the berries. Before serving dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Finished!

Before you call your family to the kitchen to give it a taste, take a moment to appreciate all the hard work you just put in. Like I said, it'll go quickly – Make sure you grab a slice before it gets devoured!

Let Us Know How It Turned Out!

Article Source: Z Tasty Life