This tart is a glistening scarlet beauty. Don’t look and think, ‘Oh 
no, all those stages!’ Each one is doable and the 
reward is huge.

Prep time: 30 minutes, 
plus chilling time | Cooking time: 50 minutes

SERVES 

eight 

INGREDIENTS 

For the crème pâtissière

• 350ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 4 large egg yolks
• 100g caster sugar
• 25g cornflour
• Knob of softened butter

For the pastry

• 85g butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 125g plain flour, plus 
extra for dusting

For the filling

• 375g fat raspberries
• 5 tbsp redcurrant jelly

METHOD 

1. Bring the milk just to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and the vanilla pod and let this sit, off the heat, for 15 minutes so that the vanilla can flavour the milk. Remove the pod.
2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they’re thick and light, then stir in the cornflour. Reheat the milk to just under boiling and add it gradually to the egg mixture, beating all the time.
3. Put the mixture into 
a clean pan and return to 
the heat. Bring it slowly to the boil, whisking all the time. Turn the heat down and continue to cook for a couple of minutes (this ensures that the flour is cooked). Pour into a bowl. The crème pâtissière will have a firm surface, like custard – brush the surface with soft butter or place a layer of well-buttered paper on it to ensure it doesn’t develop a skin. Leave to cool.
4. For the pastry, cream the butter and sugar together – it’s best to use a handheld mixer as the quantity is small – for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract along with a pinch of salt. Mix again, with the mixer on a slow speed, then add the flour all at once and blend briefly (just until it has been incorporated).
5. Turn the dough out on to a work surface. Mix it together by pushing the dough away from you with the heel of your hand for just a couple of minutes. Gather it all together, flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.
6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 23cm tart tin. This pastry is very crumbly, so it might be better to press it in place if you are having trouble rolling it. Patch any tears in the pastry with small pieces of dough.
7. Put it back in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes or so and preheat the oven to 190C/180C fan*/gas mark 5.
8. Fill the tart case with greaseproof paper and baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then gently remove the beans and paper. Turn the oven down to 175C/165C fan*/gas mark 3 1/2. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden – because of the sugar content this pastry can burn easily, so keep an eye on it. Leave the tart case to cool completely, then gently remove it from the tin and put it on to a serving plate.
9. Carefully spread the crème pâtissière in the tart case then arrange the raspberries neatly on top. Heat the jelly with 2 tbsp warm water until it has melted. Leave to cool a little (if you use it when it’s hot it will cook the fruit and make it taste jammy), then brush the jelly thickly on top of the fruit. Leave to set a little and 
cool before serving.

*Diana’s conversions may differ slightly from the standard