Instructions: To make the dough: (makes one tarte about 12 - 14" in diameter):

* Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and let it proof for a few minutes.
* Knead the butter to soften it.
* Put the flour into a mixing bowl and add in the salt, sugar and the
lightly beaten eggs.
* Mix together and then add in the yeast and milk mixture. Then incorporate
the butter. Knead for at least 5 minutes.
* Put the dough in a large mixing bowl, cover it and let it rise for about 2 hours.
* Then punch down and mold the dough into a large tarte pan. Cover and let
it rise one hour.
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the top of the dough with the egg
yolk that has been mixed with 2 drops of water. Sprinkle the top with the crystallized sugar and bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

To make the pastry cream:
* Put the milk and the vanilla bean, which has been cut lengthwise, into an enamel (or non-reactive metal) pan.
* Bring to a slight boil and remove from the heat to let the vanilla bean
infuse the milk.
* During this infusion time, separate the eggs, keeping the yolks. Put the
whites in a separate bowl and save for another use. In a mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy (5 min.). Add the sifted flour, beating lightly until all the flour is incorporated.
* Remove the vanilla bean from the milk. Scrape out the seeds and put back into the milk (to give a stronger vanilla flavor).
* Add milk to the egg/flour mixture gradually.
* Cook this mixture at high heat, stirring continuously to prevent sticking and burning on the bottom until the mixture becomes very thick and difficult to stir. This should take about 2 minutes.
* After the pastry cream is cooked, put it into a clean bowl. Before the cream has cooled all the way down, add butter which has been kneaded to soften. Beat the mixture energetically by hand or with a mixer.
*

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Final assembly:
* Cut the brioche tarte in half horizontally.
* Spread the pastry cream on the bottom layer.
* Arrange halved strawberries or raspberries on the cream layer and replace
the final top layer of the brioche.
* Refrigerate until served.

Note:
* Bakers crystallized sugar: This is a special kind of "puffed" sugar used is French pastries. It looks like "rice crispies" and has about the same light texture and crunch. Its very difficult to find this type of sugar, but worth the effort to make your Tarte Tropezienne look authentic. The only luck Ive had in San Francisco is buying some from a local French bakery.

(one tarte serves 8)

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