Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
Quarter of a vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seed pods. Add the vanilla seeds and bean to the milk. Heat milk almost to a boil. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until well-blended. Whisk in the flour to make a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the hot vanilla milk. Strain back into the saucepan. Over medium-low heat, bring the custard to a gentle boil, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to prevent scorching. Cook until cream is very thick. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until use. Spread pastry cream on tart shell; then add fruit or other desired toppings.