——————————–PASTRY DOUGH——————————– 1/2 c Unsalted butter
1/4 c Sugar
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 Egg yolk
1 1/4 c Cake flour
——————————–PASTRY CREAM——————————– 1 c Milk
1/4 c Sugar
3 Egg yolks
3 tb Flour
1 ts Vanilla
———————————FINISHING——————————— 3 pt Fresh red currants
– rinsed and stemmed 1/2 c Toasted, sliced almonds
Confectioners’ sugar ———————————–GLAZE———————————– 1 c Red currant jelly
2 tb Kirsch
FOR THE DOUGH: Beat the butter and sugar with the paddle on medium speed until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla and the yolk and continue beating until smooth and shiny, about 3 more minutes. Stop the mixer, sift the cake flour and add to the butter mixture. Pulse the mixer on and off to incorporate the flour. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic, wrap and chill it until firm. FOR THE PASTRY CREAM: Combine the milk and half the sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar and sift the flour over and whisk it in. Beat 1/3 of the boiling milk into the yolk mixture and return the remaining milk to a boil. Beat the yolk mixture into the boiling milk and continue beating until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Scrape the cream onto a clean plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill. Roll the dough and fit it into a 10-to-11-inch tart pan. Cut a disk of parchment paper to fit the inside of the dough and fill with dried beans. Preheat oven to 325F. Bake the tart shell about 20 minutes, until set. Remove the paper and
beans and continue baking 5 minutes more to color the pastry. Do not over-bake. Cool the shell in the pan. Spread the cooled pastry cream on the cooled tart shell. Arrange the currants on the pastry cream. Bring the jelly and kirsch to a boil and strain. Reduce to thicken if necessary. Brush the glaze on the berries. Edge the tart with the almonds and sprinkle the almonds with the confectioners’ sugar.