Old Glory In All It's, Well... Glory - Independence Day Berry Tart

I had decided, since the whole family was getting together for the 4th of July, that we were going to need a garmungous (which is bigger than humongous) dessert. That is, for the adults who weren't going to be into the whole "Deep Fried Ice Cream" thing. While I was pondering my pan sizes, something I had seen several years ago, on the net somewhere, started tickling the back of my consciousness. When the thought fully formed in my minds eye, I was quite pleased with the idea.

All I needed were some fresh Oregon berries (quite fitting), some Puff Pastry, some jelly, a lot of whipped cream and some form of cooked pudding cause I refuse to use that instant gelatin based stuff. Not because it's based on gelatin, but because it's all artificially flavored. LOL
That was when I decided on the Cardamom Pastry Creme, which is what we Americans refer to as "Pudding", not to be confused with Christmas Pudding or Yorkshire Pudding (Those will be later posts).

Pastry Creme was first, so it could chill overnight. And I wanted to assemble on the 4th so that the Puff Pastry didn't have time to become soggy.

Old Glory

1 recipe Pastry Creme
1 Pkg Puff Pastry
Flour (for rolling out the pastry)
1 "half sheet" jelly roll pan
1/2 cup Pomegranate Jelly
1/2 pint Fresh Blueberries
2 pints Fresh Raspberries
3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
2 TB Confectioners' Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 large piping bag fitted with a 17mm 52-7 tip (Kaiser)
1 small piping bag fitted with a #22 Star tip (Wilton)
A Lot of Patience

Be sure to make the Cardamom Pastry Creme the night before so it is well chilled.

Roll each of the sheets of Puff Pastry to about 10 x 14 on a lightly floured surface. (this will allow for about 2 inches of overlap in the center of the sheet pan)

Lay out the pastry in the sheet pan and dock it with a fork. (Be sure that it comes up the sides of the pan, cause it will shrink a little in the oven - Cause you rolled it out)

Bake for 15 minutes. (Like I said, it shrinks a little, but that is OK)

Warm 1/2 cup of Pomegranate jelly in the microwave for 40 seconds.

Brush the warm pastry with the liquid jelly. (This will create a barrier between the pastry and pastry creme, to prevent sogginess - and add some "zig")

Once the pastry has cooled completely, spread the pastry creme all over the crust.

Begin laying berries out in a flag design, remember 7 red stripes (the gaps will be white - there should be 6), the blueberries will be your "blue field of stars" (I made my blue field a little too small - it's bottom border should have been had the white stripe under it, not the red one)

In a medium bowl, whip the Heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar & vanilla.

Place 3/4 of the Heavy Cream in the large Piping bag and remainder in the small piping bag.

Using the large piping bag, pipe "white Stripes" into the gaps between the Raspberries.

With the small piping bag, pipe stars in the "Blue Field" - Remember, there are 50, from top to bottom with 5 rows of 6 and 4 rows of 5, alternating. Beginning and ending with 6. (This is when I figured out I had made the blue field too small)

Don't worry if you have some whipped cream left over... There is bound to be someone around who would be overjoyed to eat it.... LOL

Oh, say can you see, by the dawns early light!

Mangia!!
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