Fresh Date Tart

By akselden

Ingredients

• Pastry for a 9-inch tart pan
• (best is the type made with egg)
• 18 California dates, halved and pitted
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preparation

Step 1

Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Fit the pastry to the pan, pushing up the sides above the rim slightly, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line the pastry with parchment paper or foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes, remove the weights and the paper and check for any tears or gaps in the crust. Repair them with small pieces of leftover dough, then let the shell bake 5 minutes longer, or until it is golden in color and dry to the touch. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350° F.
Optional: Steam the dates over boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes to soften them. Arrange the dates in the pastry shell in two concentric circles, tips pointing toward the center. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean into the mixture, then mix in the cream. Pour mixture over the dates and bake the tart for 35 minutes, or until the custard is set. Let it cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature. Serves 6.