Pastiche Fruit Tart Review and assumed recipe (+other pastries)

(Major food porn of Pastiche's Fruit Tart. My favorite-st in the whole wide world)

(another angle, another shot)

Many of you who live in the east coast may have tried this already. Hands down, this is (my favorite and) fruit tart in the entire world (my world). Me thinks no one else has reached the pinnacle of fruit tart-perfection Pastiche has.

Every single FT I taste gets compared to it. It is worthy of its exorbitant price tag of $43 (large). The usually very communal me gets jealous and protective if anyone tries to siphon a slice of my large tart. (It is mine and I will savor it slowly.) It is worth the 45 minutes drive from Boston and 45 minutes back because it is that good.
Personal reasons aside, Pastiche's FT is absolutely beautiful. Scrutinize it. The thin, high-shine glaze casts rich jewel tones on fresh fruit, rendering it unnaturally perfect (the Gods would approve). Beyond the surface layer of fruit, the custard, oh the custard!
The custard is amazingly fresh. In fact as soon as it touches the tongue, you get an addictive taste of quality vanilla bean and cream. Ah, but it gets better because almost instantly, the FT hits you with a surprising, slight fizzy sensation like soda on the tongue. There is no cloying sweetness and no taste bud saturation because of this unique "bubbly" feel and the tart fruit. I've hypothesized for years that they use club soda/bicarbonate somewhere in the custard. (can anyone verify?) The crust is also simple and well-made, not too greasy or soft and smells like fresh butter...
  
(more than I can handle now...Ooh)

(Close close up)

I wonder then, if Pastiche has released its own cookbook (I would buy!) and my google search found a recipe exchange on tasteri that alludes to Pastiche's recipe:
FRESH FRUIT TART
(Makes one 11-inch tart)
Pastry shell:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
Fresh fruit, sliced thin, or berries, or a combination
Clear apple jelly

Shell: Stir together flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces, then cut butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk and water until mixture just binds together. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 13-inch circle. Press dough into an 11-inch fluted tart pan. Place in freezer for about an hour.Line pastry shell with foil and add pie weights or dry beans to keep pastry from puffing up while it bakes.Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pie weights and foil.

Filling: In medium saucepan, heat cream and sugar to just below a boil. Whisk yolks in a medium size bowl and slowly add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Pour custard back into saucepan and cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Do not overcook. Stir in vanilla. Pour into pre-baked shell and bake at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is just set.
For even baking, turn the tart half-way through baking. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Garnish with any one or a combination of fruits, such as sliced kiwi, mango, peaches, pears, nectarines, oranges, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or red currants.Finish with a glaze of apple jelly heated and thinned with a little water.

I hope to try the recipe out some time this summer but to continue, here's what they have to offer at the cafe and the other pastries too. Pastiche also serves amazing chilled drinks.

(I had the chai latte. I am always impressed when drinks are good because proportion is key)

(cheese cake with raspberries!)

(Chocolate Cream Tart )

(Chocolate Mousse Cake - Dark chocolate mousse on a buttery chocolate crust, garnished with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings (serve chilled))

(Fresh Lime Mousse Tart - An all butter tart shell with a thin layer of lime curd topped with a light tangy mousse made from freshly squeezed limes, garnished with whipped cream and glazed lime slices (serve chilled))

(Strawberry Short Cake)

I can't wait until summer comes and we're taking short excursions out of the city! Pastiche, here I come!