Black Currant Fruit Tart (Printable version)

Elegant French tart with buttery crust and tangy black currant filling topped with fresh berries

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 tsp fine sea salt
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 1–2 tbsp cold water

→ Black Currant Curd

07 - 1 cup fresh or frozen black currants
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 large egg yolk
12 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed

→ Assembly

13 - 1/2 cup fresh black currants or mixed berries
14 - Powdered sugar for dusting
15 - Fresh mint leaves for garnish

# How To Make:

01 - Pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water; pulse until dough just comes together, adding more water only if needed.
02 - Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan. Press into pan and trim edges. Prick base with a fork and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
04 - Line tart shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, and bake 10–12 minutes more until golden. Cool completely.
05 - Combine black currants, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until fruit softens and bursts. Purée mixture and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove skins and seeds.
06 - Return strained purée to saucepan. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon (about 7–10 minutes). Do not boil.
07 - Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Pour curd into a bowl and cover surface directly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until slightly set, about 30 minutes.
08 - Spread black currant curd evenly in cooled tart shell. Arrange fresh berries on top. Refrigerate tart for at least 1 hour before serving.
09 - Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with mint leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The balance of tart and sweet is sophisticated enough for dinner parties but simple enough for a Tuesday night treat
  • That buttery crust shatters beautifully against the silky curd, a texture contrast that keeps people going back for seconds
02 -
  • If the curd starts to curdle while cooking, immediately pour it through a sieve and whisk vigorously to smooth it out
  • Room temperature curd spreads more evenly, so let it sit out for 15 minutes before assembling
03 -
  • If your berries look dull after arranging, brush them very lightly with warmed apricot jam for a professional glossy finish
  • Black currant season is short, so freeze extra berries when you find them and you will be able to make this tart year round
Return