Black Currant Fruit Tart (Printable)

Buttery tart shell filled with tangy black currant curd and fresh berries for a stunning French dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tart Crust

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 1-2 tablespoons cold water

→ Black Currant Curd

07 - 1 cup fresh or frozen black currants
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 large egg yolk
12 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

→ Assembly and Garnish

13 - 1/2 cup fresh black currants or mixed berries
14 - Powdered sugar for dusting
15 - Fresh mint leaves for garnish

# Method:

01 - In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt together. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water, then pulse until dough just comes together, adding additional water only if necessary.
02 - Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
03 - Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan. Press dough into pan, trim edges, prick base with a fork, and chill for 10 minutes.
04 - Line tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove weights and parchment. Bake 10-12 minutes more until golden brown. Cool completely.
05 - In a saucepan, combine black currants, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes until fruit softens and bursts. Purée the mixture and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove skins and seeds.
06 - Return strained purée to saucepan. Whisk in eggs and egg yolk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 7-10 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
07 - Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Pour curd into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until slightly set, about 30 minutes.
08 - Spread black currant curd evenly in cooled tart shell. Arrange fresh berries on top in an attractive pattern. Refrigerate tart for at least 1 hour before serving.
09 - Dust tart with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired. Serve chilled.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The crust shatters under your fork in the most satisfying way, buttery and golden without a trace of greasiness.
  • Black currant curd tastes nothing like the jams you've tried—it's sophisticated, jammy, and somehow both tart and luxurious at once.
  • You can make it ahead and assemble it hours before guests arrive, which means less stress and more time enjoying the moment.
02 -
  • If your curd breaks or looks grainy while cooking, you've let the heat get too high—immediately remove it from heat, pour it into a bowl, and whisk in the butter to rescue it.
  • The crust shrinks slightly during baking, which is completely normal; this is why you press it into the pan rather than laying it on top.
  • Frozen black currants work just as well as fresh and are often more convenient to find; there's no shame in using them.
03 -
  • Keep your tart pan in the oven while it preheats so the dough sets immediately when it touches the hot surface—this helps prevent shrinking.
  • If you can't find a fine-mesh sieve, a regular strainer lined with cheesecloth works in a pinch, though it requires more patience.
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