A French patisserie classic is made modern. The tarts pictured incorporate sliced kiwi fruit, peaches, and strawberries, along with assorted whole berries, but feel free to improvise with your favorite fresh or poached fruit, and to arrange it in whatever pattern pleases you. That’s half the fun of a recipe such as this—the shell serves as a blank canvas for your creativity.

　　

Ingredients

Makes two 7-inch square tarts

　　All-purpose flour, for dusting

　　1 box store-bought puff pastry, preferably all butter, thawed, or 1/4 recipe Puff Pastry (page 334)

　　1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

　　Vanilla Pastry Cream (page 338)

　　2 cups mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries

　　1 ripe, firm peach, peeled (see page 343), pitted, and sliced into thin wedges

　　2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

　　

Step 1

On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out and trim dough into two 9-inch squares, 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to press too hard around the edges. Cut out (and reserve) eight 1-inch-wide strips (4 from each square), 1 from each edge. Dough squares should be about 7 by 7 inches. Transfer squares to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

　　

Step 2

Pierce dough squares all over with a fork. Using a pastry brush, moisten dough edges with beaten egg, being careful not to let any drip down over the cut edges.

　　

Step 3

Lay reserved 1-inch strips over edges of each square, positioning them to line up exactly, overlapping at corners. Trim strips to fit, if necessary. Brush egg wash underneath each of the 4 overlapping corners to seal them together. Brush tops of strips, being careful not to let egg wash drip down sides. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake until well browned and puffed all over, about 15 minutes. Using an offset spatula, press down on center of crust, leaving borders puffy. Return to oven; bake 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Press down again, if needed. Let cool completely.

　　

Step 5

Whisk pastry cream to loosen. Using a small offset spatula, spread pastry cream over bottoms of crusts, dividing evenly. Arrange fruit as desired on top of pastry cream.

　　Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts