Fabulous Fruit Tart

Heart Fruit Tart

This Fabulous Fruit Tart looks and tastes anything but simple, yet it is so easy to make that it has become my new go-to dessert when company is coming.

If you’re like me, the thought of pie crust that doesn’t come out of a package is daunting.  But this is the simplest crust I have ever made, and it has a yummy, buttery cookie flavor.  I got the crust recipe from chowhound.com.

The filling is a light, sweet pastry cream like used in cream puffs, yet thanks to Thomas Joseph of Kitchen Conundrums on the Martha Stewart channel, I now know how simple it can be.  Below are my directions, but I recommend you watch his video:  http://www.marthastewart.com/1084932/no-fuss-pastry-cream

CRUST:

  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  1. Stir together melted butter, sugar, and salt.  Add the flour and stir just until combined into a soft dough.
  2. Put the dough in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (I think fingers work best, but you could use a measuring cup).
  3. Cover the tart shell with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  4. Once chilled, use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust and bake at 350°F until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
    Tart Crust
  5. Cool completely and fill with cream before removing from the pan.

PASTRY CREAM:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan to be sure there are no lumps.
    Sugar & Cornstarch
  2. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in large measuring cup or pour-spout bowl.
    Whisk egg yolks and milk
  3. Add milk/egg mixture and butter to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly.  Cook until it comes to a rolling boil and let cook 1 minute more.
    Cooking pastry cream
  4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
    Vanilla
  5. Pour pastry cream into a sieve over a large bowl, scraping the sieve with a spatula.  (This just catches any little bits of egg that might have congealed.)
    Sieve 1  Sieve 2
  6. Cover with plastic wrap being sure to press it directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.  Refrigerate at least two hours, and up to two days.
    Pastry Cream

MAKING THE TART:

  • Fresh fruit, sliced
  • Powdered sugar
  1. Whisk the chilled pastry cream and pour it into the baked tart crust, spreading it smoothly to the edges.
  2. Lay out fruit slices randomly or in a pattern.
  3. Dust with powdered sugar.
    Fruit Tarts for Peace

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