Old-fashioned currant tart

 
                         OLD-FASHIONED CURRANT TART
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 8    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Pies                             Desserts
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
                         -----PASTRY DOUGH-----
      1/2   c            Unsalted butter
      1/4   c            Sugar
    1       t            Vanilla extract
    1                    Egg yolk
    1 1/4   c            Cake flour
                         -----PASTRY CREAM-----
    1       c            Milk
      1/4   c            Sugar
    3                    Egg yolks
    3       tb           Flour
    1       t            Vanilla
                         -----FINISHING-----
    3       pt           Fresh red currants
                         - rinsed and stemmed
      1/2   c            Toasted, sliced almonds
                         Confectioners' sugar
                         -----GLAZE-----
    1       c            Red currant jelly
    2       tb           Kirsch
 
   FOR THE DOUGH: Beat the butter and sugar with the paddle on medium speed
   until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla and the yolk and continue
   beating until smooth and shiny, about 3 more minutes. Stop the mixer, sift
   the cake flour and add to the butter mixture. Pulse the mixer on and off to
   incorporate the flour. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic, wrap and
   chill it until firm. FOR THE PASTRY CREAM: Combine the milk and half the
   sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar
   and sift the flour over and whisk it in. Beat 1/3 of the boiling milk into
   the yolk mixture and return the remaining milk to a boil. Beat the yolk
   mixture into the boiling milk and continue beating until the cream thickens
   and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Scrape the
   cream onto a clean plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill. Roll the dough
   and fit it into a 10-to-11-inch tart pan. Cut a disk of parchment paper to
   fit the inside of the dough and fill with dried beans. Preheat oven to
   325F. Bake the tart shell about 20 minutes, until set. Remove the paper and
   beans and continue baking 5 minutes more to color the pastry. Do not
   over-bake. Cool the shell in the pan. Spread the cooled pastry cream on the
   cooled tart shell. Arrange the currants on the pastry cream. Bring the
   jelly and kirsch to a boil and strain. Reduce to thicken if necessary.
   Brush the glaze on the berries. Edge the tart with the almonds and sprinkle
   the almonds with the confectioners' sugar.
  
 
 
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