- One 8-inch Sweet Tart crust
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ½ cup minus 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ vanilla bean or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup passion fruit juice
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter, at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- Bain-marie
- A whisk, preferably a balloon whisk (the head of the whisk is more rounded than the long variety)
- Prepare the Sweet Tart crust.
- Make the passion-fruit custard (see the Note on the unique consistency of citrus curds):
- In the bowl of the bain-marie, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar. Using a paring knife, cut down the center of the vanilla bean and scrape out the tiny black seeds. Add the scraped vanilla bean (or vanilla extract), passion-fruit juice, and salt to the egg mixture. Whisk briskly until the mixture has thickened, doubled in volume, and holds the lines of a whisk, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the curd from the heat and pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard the vanilla bean (or reserve for another time). Place the bowl in an ice bath and let cool until warm to the touch. Thoroughly whisk in the butter.
- Bake the passion-fruit tart:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pour the passion-fruit curd into the prepared tart shell. Place the tart on a cookie sheet and bake until the custard sets, 10 to 15 minutes. To test if the custard is set, gently tap the tart ring; if the center does not jiggle, the custard is set. If you have made the curd ahead of time and refrigerated it, the tart will need a few extra minutes in the oven to set.
- Serving Suggestions:
- Serve the tart at room temperature. It is delicious on its own, but whipped cream or crème fraîche and a few raspberries or strawberries make great accompaniments. I also recommend the Basil Ice Cream, Guava Sorbet, or Pineapple-Rosemary Sorbet. You can also use the curd as a filling for mini tartlets, topped with fresh berries and candied zest.