The mixer was designed to make tasks easier. When you encounter situations like these, ask yourself if the mixer will produce the same end result as whisking by hand. If the answer is yes, then go ahead. In this instance, the whisk is used to combine the eggs and sugar and lighten the color of the mixture before it is cooked, so if you want to do this a bit quicker, use a mixer. Cheers!

Thanks :)

No problem. Another key thing to keep in mind is to match/adjust the mixer speed to the actual speed you'd normally use by hand. Cheers!

is this dough mixture enough to fit a 12" tart pan?

Yes, you will be able to form a large tart out of this dough. Keep in mind though that if making a large fruit tart, it is harder to cut. The pastry cream may not hold its shape...this is why we made smaller, individual tarts. You can increase the amount of cornstarch but really firm pastry cream isn't as nice to eat. Cheers!

I always hear people talk about 321 pie dough is this dough the same or is it something different ? I noticed that there is egg in the dough unlike the pie dough which is what got me confused.

There are so many variations of dough. Pate brisee is sometimes referred to as a 321 dough. This means the ratio of flour : butter : water is 3:2:1. This is the most basic formula for pate brisee dough. Whether the cook chooses to add extra ingredients or make substitutions to enrich the dough, this is up to them.

The dough in this recipe is for pate sucree. Pate sucree usually contains way more butter than liquid; therefore, this particular dough does not fall into a 321 category. Cheers!

can I make the pastry cream one day ahead of time?

Yes, it can be made a day in advance. Just like the video shows, cool it and store it in the refrigerator. Whisk it before assembling. Cheers!

Made this last week for my family and turned out Idelicious. I had some chocolate truffles which i melted and spread some on the bottom of the tart. the tart, the pastry cream and a thin layer of chocolate was delicious. I can eat it without the fruits.

i did have a tough time rolling out the dough. It kept tearing and got warm very fast is that common? I had to put it back in the refrigerator more often. Everytime I picked up the dough it just tore.

The dough will have a tendency to soften rather quickly, especially if your kitchen is a bit warm and you handle the dough too much. Good that you kept putting it back in the fridge as you rolled it. It is a very forgiving dough, so it's okay to press it together to seal any tears. Cheers!

I adore tarts, but have a food sensitivity to eggs. Any ideas on substitutes for eggs? We have used ground flax with good success, but different substitutes work with different things, we use applesauce with cookies, and I think you could use potato starch or more corn starch, but how would you adapt the recipe, or could you?
Another comment, we use demarara sugar and wheat flour, are there any adjustments for this?
I have seen this made with almond paste mixture, but am unfamiliar with how to do this... Thanks so much!

Wish there was a simple answer to your questions. Eggs produce a certain structure and chemistry that is very hard to substitute with exact results. But sounds like you're on the right track. Find literature on vegan baking, for some vegan pastry cooks have done all the experimenting for you. At this point, this is obviously beyond the scope of a forum as we have not yet tackled this topic - which is one much more complex than any other.

Every recipe can be adapted and there are adjustments for all products, and not just chemistry, but quantities and mixing methods affect end results. This is a trial and error affair, and you'll have to accept that errors will occur. But don't stop trying researching reliable literature on this and experimenting in your own kitchen.

Thanks so much! Any suggestions on books, authors, or where to look for good material?

I would start by doing an online search. Perhaps check out some reviews on Amazon (here are the results of a quick search I did) or other online bookstores and/or check out your local stores or even the library. Cheers!

I made this last week and it was delicious. It was my first time ever making any type of dough or pastry cream. I made 4" tartlets and they were a hit with my guests. It was actually the best fruit tart I've ever eaten.

Nice work! Excellent skills = excellent results. Glad you enjoyed. Cheers!

The instruction on the tart video was exceptional. I went to the fruit stand and bought raspberries ,strawberries and blue berries picked that morning. I made four tarts. They were incredible. This was possibly the most rewarding thing I have cooked to this point. The techniques taught in this video take tarts to the next level into outer space.

Thanks for your kind words. They mean a lot to all of us at Rouxbe. Again, as I said above, it all comes down to the cook making it. Excellent skills = excellent results, so nice work! Cheers!

This is one of my favorite recipes on Rouxbe and the instructions are indeed very, very good! I love this tart!

I've done some experimenting with larger size tart as opposed to the small individual size ones fom the video. I like to use a 35x8 cm rectangular tart pan (about 14x3 inch), which really gives a professionally looking result. To prevent the pastry cream from being to runny when cutting the tart I add 3 (soaked) gelatin sheets (about 5 g), just after I've put the cream above the ice bath, so when it's still quite warm. You only have to be careful that you don't let the cream become too cold before putting it in the tart shell, otherwise the gelatin will have set too much.
After letting the finished tart cool down totally, the gelatin gives the pastry cream a bit more structure so you can cut the tart nicely! I find the gelatin (in this amount) does not have a negative effect on the texture of the pastry cream when you eat the tart.

Hopefully this is helpful for other people who would like to make a bigger size! :-)
Also, red currants are delicious in this tart!

Thanks,
Marc

1 and 1/2 or 2 and 2/3?

When baking, it is advisable to weigh the flour instead of measuring it by volume, especially if a recipe specifically calls for ounces. Using a scale to weigh the ingredients will produce more accurate and consistent results.

Most measuring cups are not calibrated for weight measurements. For example, 12oz of flour would not occupy the same volume as 12oz of brown sugar. And on top of that, one measuring cup may not hold the same amount as another cup measuring cup of the same size (1 cup for example).

However, with that said, you could try the recipe using 1 1/2 cups of flour (8oz=1 cup); however, please note, that we have not tested this recipe by volume (using measuring cups) we measured by weight (using a scale). Hope that helps. Cheers!