Fruit tart

My allotment keeps on gifting fresh strawberries and raspberries and led by creativity, I made this fruit tart. It reminds me a lot of the one I used to eat back in Italy, topped with tons of seasonal fruit.

The custard is ridiculously easy and you would never tell it’s vegan. As to the shortcrust pastry, I made a sugar-free version, which slightly crunchy texture goes really well with the creaminess of the toppings.

INGREDIENTS for the shortcrust pastry:

200g plain flour 50g spelt flour 60g barley malt 60ml sunflower oil 70ml unsweetened plant-based milk A pinch of salt 1 tsp baking powder

INGREDIENTS for the custard:

250ml plant-based milk

35g caster sugar

20g cornstarch

½ tsp of vanilla powder or liquid vanilla essence

½ organic lemon

1 pinch of turmeric (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the pastry: mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl whilst in a pot slightly heat the soy milk, melt in the malt and add the oil. Pour the mixture onto the dry ingredients and knead until you get a smooth texture. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for one hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the custard by mixing in a pot the sugar and the cornstarch. Add a splash of milk and start whisking. Move the pot over low to medium heat and keep mixing whilst pouring the milk. At this stage, replace the whisk with a fork tucked on half lemon and continue to whisk until it is well thickened. Leave the custard to cool.

Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it on a floured surface with a rolling pin until it’s about 3-4 mm thick. Place it in a tray, pinch the surface with a fork and bake at 180°C for 10 minutes covered with a layer of parchment paper and beans or rice on top. After this, remove the beans and paper and keep baking for 10 more minutes. Once ready set aside and let it cool before garnishing with the fresh custard and seasonal fruit.