Crust:
6 ounces flour
4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
2 ounces sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 to 10 teaspoons cold water
Pastry Cream:
2 cups (1 pint) half and half
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into tablespoons
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
Fresh fruit for the top
Make the pastry cream:
Have a bowl ready with a fine mesh strainer set inside and a spatula.
Place all ingredients in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until it comes to a full boil and thickens. Continue to whisk about 30 seconds at a full boil to ensure all the cornstarch is activated. Remove from heat and use the spatula to scrape the pastry cream through the fine strainer into the bowl. Use the spatula to stir and press it through the strainer. Discard any cooked egg pieces left in the strainer. Cover the pastry cream flush on the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Make the crust:
In the food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the butter pieces. Pulse 8 times. Have the vanilla in the teaspoon ready to go, and the cold water in a small measuring cup ready to go as well. Remove the small feed tube, turn the machine on and immediately pour in the vanilla and then 3 teaspoons of the water. Then watch and listen to the dough... carefully add water 1 teaspoon at a time just until it comes together and forms a ball of dough. The sound of the dough in the machine will change right before it forms a ball, so you'll know to not add any more water once you hear the sound change.
Turn the dough out onto a floured counter, flour the top and pat into a circle. Roll with a rolling pin to form a 10 inch circle. Roll it up on the pin and unroll over a 9 inch tart pan. Gently lift and ease the dough down into the pan without stretching it. Use the rolling pin to roll across the top, which will cut away any excess dough. Place the tart pan into the freezer and turn the oven to 425 degrees.
Once the oven is heated, get a square of parchment and crumple it, then spread it open again. Remove the tart pan from the freezer and line it with the parchment, which should mold easily because of the crumples. Add dried beans or pie weights to fill the tart pan about 2/3 of the way up. Place the tart pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake 15 minutes.
Carefully remove the tart pan to a wire rack and remove the parchment and pie weights, lifting it out very gently from the crust so it doesn't tear the bottom. Place the tart pan back in the oven for 5 to 8 more minutes until golden brown around the edges.
Remove the tart pan to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Very gently wash the berries to be used for the top and set them on paper towels to dry. They need to be completely dry before going on top of the tart.
Assemble the tart:
Whisk the chilled pastry cream to smooth it out, then spread evenly in the baked tart crust. Cut up larger fruits, like strawberries, mangoes, kiwis, etc., and leave small berries whole. Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve.
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