Make the tart dough. Whisk flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter until you have sandy crumbs with pea-sized bits. Stir in egg yolk, vanilla (if using), and just enough cold water to bring the dough together.

Chill the dough. Press into a flat disk, wrap, and chill 30–60 minutes. Cold dough = crisp crust.

Roll and line the pan. On lightly floured parchment, roll to about 1/8-inch thick. Fit it into the tart pan, pressing into corners. Trim excess. Dock the base with a fork, then chill 20 minutes to prevent shrinkage.

Blind-bake. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the shell with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake 10–12 more minutes until golden. Cool completely.

Make the pastry cream. Heat milk with scraped vanilla bean (or add extract later) until steaming. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in hot milk.

Cook until thick. Return mixture to the pot. Whisk over medium heat until it bubbles and thickens, about 1–3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla extract (if not using a bean). It should be smooth and glossy.

Chill the cream. Strain through a fine sieve into a shallow bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

Prep the fruit. Wash and dry thoroughly. Slice larger fruits (strawberries, kiwi, mango, peaches). Keep berries whole if they’re small and firm. Dry fruit prevents a soggy tart.

Assemble. Whisk the chilled pastry cream to loosen. Spread evenly in the cooled tart shell.

Arrange the fruit. Start from the outside and work inward in overlapping circles, or create sections by color. Aim for even coverage and a slight dome.

Glaze. Warm the apricot jam with a splash of water or lemon until fluid. Strain if chunky. Brush gently over the fruit for shine and protection.

Chill briefly. Refrigerate 30–60 minutes to set the glaze. Slice with a sharp knife and serve.