Starfall Nut Tarts with Berries

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 2 and 1/4 cups flour, plus a little extra for dusting
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 170 g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1.2 cm pieces.
• 1 beaten egg

For the custard:

• 470 ml raspberries
• 470 ml blueberries
• 1 cup of milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons buttermilk or skim milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons of starch
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1. Prepare the cake base: In a food processor, finely chop the flour, pecans, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the butter and continue to process until the mixture resembles coarse flour.
   
   Add 6 tablespoons of ice water and stir until combined. Place the dough on plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
2. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 22 x 32 cm rectangle. Trim any uneven edges to form a 20 x 30 cm rectangle. (Save any scraps.)
   
   Cut it into eight rectangles and roll them out to 7.5 x 10 cm. Place the pieces of dough separately on parchment paper. Pinch the edges with your fingers. Transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Roll out the scraps of dough to a thickness of 0.6 cm.
   
   Using floured cookie cutters, cut out 8 stars and place them on a baking sheet next to the cake layers. Refrigerate the baking sheet for 20 minutes until completely set.
3. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit). Use a fork to poke holes in the cake layers. Brush the stars and edges of the layers with beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack and cool.
4. Prepare the custard: In a saucepan, combine milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and vanilla and bring to a boil over medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup buttermilk, egg yolks, cornstarch, and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar.
   
   Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until thickened and bubbling. Then pour into a bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
5. Carefully place the layers on a plate. Spread the custard on top, then sprinkle with berries. Place one star on each tart slice. Dust with powdered sugar.