Blackcurrant Tart with French Flan Pastry

This fruit tart is one of our favourites for dinner parties, or as a summer treat - your guests will always want to come back for more! By buying and using frozen fruit you aren't relying on seasonality in order to use your favourite British fruits, so you can bake with summer berries year round.

Blackcurrant Tart with French Flan Pastry

Ingredients:

French Flan Pastry (For a 7inch diameter flan tin):

  • 4oz flour
  • 2oz butter (cold and cubed)
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence (optional)
  • 1-2 eggs
  • Pinch of salt
  • Ceramic beans

Blackcurrant Filling:

  • Enough blackcurrants to fill your pastry tin (you can switch this for any other fruit you may prefer)
  • 2oz caster sugar
  • 1 packet of flan gel
  • 100ml double cream

Method:

  1. Heat your oven to 200°C or Mark 6.
  2. Sieve the flour and salt onto a clean, dry surface and create a well in the centre.
  3. Into the centre of the well add your butter, eggs, and vanilla essence. Then, using only your fingertips of one hand, work these ingredients together until well combined.
  4. Begin gradually drawing in the flour from the sides of your well and knead lightly until smooth.
  5. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  6. Grease your flan tin using a little bit of butter.
  7. Once your pastry has chilled, roll it out into a circle big enough to fill your flan tin. Then, line your tin with the pastry.
  8. Fill your pastry with ceramic beans and bake in the oven for 20 minutes before removing the beans.
  9. Bake for another 6 minutes, or until golden. Then leave to cool.
  10. Soften your blackcurrants by heating them gently in a pan and add your sugar to taste.
  11. Allow to cool slightly and pour the blackcurrants into your pastry, keeping some of the liquid back to avoid a soggy base.
  12. Heat a packet of flan gel as instructed on the packet, you can use any of your leftover fruit juice here.
  13. Then pour the flan gel over your fruit and leave it a few minutes to set.
  14. Whip up the double cream until it has a thicker consistency which you can pipe or spoon onto the top of your tart.
  15. Serve and Enjoy

This recipe is incredibly adaptable so you can switch out the blackcurrants for a fruit of your choice. How about you try strawberries, gooseberries, or chuckleberries next time you bake?