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1
In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, salt and sugar.
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2
Process by pulsing on and off once.
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3
Add to that mixture the butter and shortening.
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4
Process, pulsing on and off about eight times, or until the mixture looks like lumpy cornmeal.
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5
Sprinkle the water evenly around the butter-flour mixture and process, pulsing, for five seconds.
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6
Empty the mixture out onto a pastry board or work surface.
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7
With the heel of your hand, start working the dough together by pushing it against the board and away from you bit by bit.
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8
Do this two or three times, or until the dough blends together and does not stick to the board.
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9
Be careful not to overwork the dough, which will make it tough.
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10
Gather the dough together in a ball, wrap the ball loosely with plastic wrap, then flatten it slightly to form a thick disk.
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11
Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.
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12
Roll out the dough and place in a 10-inch tart shell.
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13
Refrigerate for one hour.
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14
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
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15
Prick the pastry here and there with a fork or knife tip.
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16
Line the pastry shell with foil, then fill with weights or dried beans to keep the dough from rising.
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17
Bake the pastry shell for eight minutes, or until it is set.
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18
Then remove the weights and the foil, and return the pastry to the oven.
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19
Bake an additional eight to 12 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
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20
Let cool on a cake rack.
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21
Meanwhile, make the almond pastry cream by beating the egg yolks with the sugar, using an electric mixer or whisk.
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22
Beat until the mixture is pale, thick and forms a ribbon.
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23
As you do this, put the milk in a medium-sized pot over medium heat and bring to the boil.
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24
Add the flour to the egg mixture, stirring gently until smooth.
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25
Then add the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously all the time.
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26
Return the mixture to the pot and heat over a medium flame, whisking continuously.
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27
Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.
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28
Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, almost to the consistency of a pudding.
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29
Remove the mixture from the heat.
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30
Stir in the butter, vanilla extract, almond extract and the pulverized almonds.
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31
Rub the top of the pastry cream with a bit of softened butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
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32
Let the pastry cream cool to room temperature.
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33
Spoon the pastry cream into the baked tart shell.
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34
Arrange the strawberries - either whole, with the tips up, or sliced - into a star pattern.
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35
Fill in the corners with the blueberries.
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36
In a small saucepan, melt the currant jelly.
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37
Paint the berries with the jelly to give them a nice glaze.
