Silky Vanilla Bean Tart (Printable)
Crisp buttery crust meets fragrant vanilla bean cream in this elegant French-inspired dessert, finished with a glossy touch.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Tart Crust
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 tablespoons ice water (as needed)
→ For the Silky Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste)
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
13 - Pinch of salt
→ For Assembly
14 - Fresh berries or fruit (optional, for topping)
15 - Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
# How to Make It:
01 - Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and pulse again. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
03 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan. Press into pan and trim excess. Prick base with fork. Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake for another 8–10 minutes until golden. Let cool completely.
04 - Heat milk and vanilla bean (both seeds and pod) in a medium saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove pod. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until pale and smooth.
05 - Slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling (about 2–3 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on surface, and chill until cold (at least 1 hour).
06 - Spread chilled pastry cream evenly into cooled tart shell. Top with fresh berries or fruit, if desired. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between the shatteringly crisp crust and impossibly smooth cream is what dessert dreams are made of
- Real vanilla bean makes everything taste expensive and thoughtful, even though it comes together faster than you would expect
02 -
- Pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream prevents a skin from forming while it chills
- The tart shell must be completely cool before filling or the cream will melt and lose its silky texture
03 -
- Scrape every single vanilla seed from the pod, then tuck the pod into your sugar jar for vanilla-infused sugar later
- If the pastry cream seems lumpy after cooking, press it through a fine mesh sieve while it is still warm