320ml Milk
30g Sugar
½ Vanilla Bean (or extract)
4 Yolks
50g Sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Flour
1 ½ cups strawberries (or peach or cherry quarters)
100g Softened Butter
100g Icing Sugar
200g Ground Almonds
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
2 Eggs
90ml Dark Rum
Preheat the oven to 325 F
In a bowl, combine the 50g measure of sugar, the yolks and the flour. Scald the milk with the 30g measure of sugar and the split vanilla bean. Pour the hot milk over the yolks, flour and sugar, whisking to combine. Return to the pot and cook the pastry cream over the heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and pour into a clean bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and allow it to cool.
In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and ground almonds. Stir in the first 1 Tbsp of flour, the cornstarch, 2 eggs and the rum.
While the mixture is cooling, prepare the fruit. Wash them, hull them and cut them into quarters. If you can get really tiny strawberries you can leave them whole, cherries can be cut in half.
Combine the two mixtures. Pour into a greased and floured 12” tarte pan (or 2 x 7”). Sprinkle the berries on top (they will sink in). Bake at 325 F until set.